The Ecstacy & The Agony

Charles Dickens once wrote as opening to his novel Tale of Two Cities, "It was the best of times, it was the worst of times."

That is what today felt like. 

The day started out with a 60 mile drive from Old Mining Town (the new handle moniker for where we live) to a USFS campground at Cochise Stronghold where some good amigos from 1.5 Mile High City were encamped for spring break & a birthday trip. Wife and I had planned to travel up their together to have breakfast with these comrades, but due to a tension/stress headache, wife had to cancel...so I drove up alone! I drove up through the valley, passed many farms & agricultural areas, to have breakfast with these very close tomodachi and their two daughters (who I think of as my nieces) before they headed back up to the Great White North of Arizona. I drove 3 hours round trip to spend 1.5 hours with friends. That's how much these friend mean to me.

When I returned to Old Mining Town, I have ~1.5 hours to get ready to attend a memorial service for the mother of someone with whom I attend church every Sunday. His 99 year old mother had passed on Monday and I ended being the usher and handing out the bulletins for the service. I did not stay long after the end of the (I did eat some of the food that served), but since I did not know the family, I thought it best to depart quickly as I did not know the deceased, except for once when she attended service a couple of years ago.

Even though I did not know the departed or the family very well, I felt like I was able to attend a funeral for my own grandmother, who departed in 2006 while I was living in Japan. I was not able to attend her funeral nor was I able to visit her grave until 4 years later, but both ladies were nearly identical in age at the time of their passing, so I felt like I was making up for not being able to attend my own grandmother's funeral. 

All for today...