I HAVE A DREAM

February, true to form, has been rearing its ugly head and showing us just how incredibly stinky it can be.  Let it be said, here and now:  FEBRUARY SUCKS!

I usually like to keep this blog full of rainbows and sunshine, puffy hearts and glitter, flowers and big smiley faces.  You get the idea.  I’m not a stranger to a good rant now and again but for the most part, I like to forget keeping it real and instead keep it hopeful in these pages.  But not today.  Sorry, peeps but I can’t let this one go by without screaming at the top of my lungs, shaking my fists and shooting something.  Now where’s my gun?  Somebody get my gun.

Daddy and I flew to Indiana for an unscheduled trip last weekend.  His best friend since grade school passed away after a long illness.   Maintaining a friendship for a lifetime is so rare these days.  It says a lot to me about both men that they’ve managed to remain a part of each other’s lives despite life and all its busy nonsense.  I have known this wonderful man and his family all my life.  He was the father of seven children.  His older children were my babysitters when our parents went out and I grew up with the younger kids.  They were there with us when my mother died and I was honored to be there with them in their time of grief.

Some might say that his passing was a blessing in light of his suffering.  And that may be so but February in all its SUCKINESS stepped in like only February can.  You see this family was still reeling from the tragic loss of his 17 year old grandson only 8 days before his death.  A grandson, a son, a brother, a friend to many, a Senior in high school, an athlete, by all accounts a great kid: Gone in the blink of an eye.

This family had a funeral for a family member 3 out of  4 Saturdays in February.  (An aunt had died the week prior.)  They always say that God never gives you more than you can handle.  This may be true but do we really have to be tested like this?  When I get to Heaven (and I know I’m going coz I’m so pure of heart and all), I’m going to have a lot of questions for the BIG GUY upstairs.  I just can’t wrap my head around this.

If you are new here, let me recap the crap that February has dumped on us in the past.

2004:

• My mother died
• My husband’s grandmother died 4 days later.
• My husband had emergency surgery between the two funerals 1200 miles from home.
• Upon our return home from the funerals, MHS wrecked his truck.  Thankfully, February cut us some slack and no one was injured.

And these were just the worst of it.  Every February since then has sucked.  And this year has been no exception.  (See above)

So here’s what I’m proposing:

Let’s change to an eleven month year and just move right from January to March.  Sure, there are those of you who have birthdays in February.  No worries, we’ll just move your birthday to that same day in March.  There are all sorts of bonuses to my plan.  We will no longer have to deal with leap year and all its confusion.  No more stress about a relationship status-appropriate gift for Valentine’s Day.   No worries about spending the big V Day alone. No more doghouse for forgetful husbands.  No more of those stupid, chalky hearts that say cutesy little sentiments.  (I might miss those)  We can eat chocolate in March.  Oh and let’s not forget that February tends to dump a lot of snow up North just about the time they are sick and tired of winter and its stinkiness.  The advantages are endless, I tell ya.

So peeps, are ya with me? Can we get this movement started?  Who do I call?  Should we start with the US?  North America?  I say, “GO BIG OR GO HOME!”  Let’s change the world.  We can do it.  YES.WE.CAN! 

Now just sign on this dotted line:

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