A Little Sad Today

I woke up this morning and realized that I hadn't prepared a post for today. My bad. Since the brain isn't yet firing on all cylinders yet, I'll just ramble a bit.

I just learned last evening that one of our weekly dinner companions is no longer with us. He passed away on Monday from a stroke. I'll miss him. He was a seasonal resident, a snowbird, from Rhode Island. A doctor before he retired and so we all called him "Doc." He wasn't young, 83, so it should not have come as a great surprise. But, somehow, it was. Strokes hit with no real warning after all.

I know a little about strokes, they were the curse of the males on my father's side, striking them down in their mid-sixties with a "these are all the years you get" finality. But we understand more about their cause and treatment these days so my father and one of his brothers beat the curse and lived into their 80's when their hearts finally failed.

Doc and Ann (his widow) had lingered in Rhode Island this year, arriving later than usual. Doc had wanted to have back surgery done there. When they finally arrived, Doc was using a walker. Quite understandable after surgery. But, in spite of his age, I expected him to recover eventually and put away that walker. I did not expect this.

So long, Doc, I'll miss you.