mdrums

Gary I just got back in my hotel room and just saw this thread...it's 10pm here in Ft Lauderdale where I'm at so I'm a little late...but I just raised up my Vitamin Water for Cindy. My thoughts and prayers are with you for strength.

Cheers!

gpjli2

Don't forget the 3 hour delay. We're early, I think. To Gary and Cindy, once again.

MICHAELWWW

-
He said when first he saw me,
Life seemed at once divine,
Each night he dreamed of angels,
And every face was mine;
Sometimes a voice in sleeping
Would all his hopes forbid;
And then he’d waken weeping---
Remembering all we did.

w00tPORSCHE

Gary, it felt good to raise a toast for your loved one. May you get all the strength to deal with this loss. Bless her soul.

seapar

I raised a glass as well

alexb76

A toast to you both! What a beautiful gesture... may her soul rest in peace!

TommyV44

Gary,

A few years ago when my Mom died my sister found among her things a note to both of us and the words she wrote strengthen me to this day when I'm sad thinking of her........."I ask that you strengthen your faith & we shall all come together again in eternity"

My prayers will be with you today.

Tom

El Fredo

Gary
May God give you
For every storm a rainbow
For every tear a smile
For every care a promise
And a blessing blessing in each trial

To You and Cindy

utkinpol

Sure Gary, I'm in.

simsgw

Sorry, folks. I just got back from that trip to pick up Cindy at Neptune Society and got the notice myself. I've asked how to pay for extra bandwidth, but they haven't replied yet.

Gary

simsgw

Yes. I found a letter from Cindy as well, trying to ease the pain of this for me. It will. Eventually, I'm sure. For now, it tore me up that it was written by "old Cindy", the one who could still write fluently of our love before her stroke. Then after the stroke, she dug it out and added a postscript of only four lines but from the strike-outs and multiple word attempts, it obviously took her quite a while to re-emphasize what she'd said years before.

I should be grateful for all the years we shared together, and eventually that emotion will surface. For now, it just hurts. I'll be off the forums for awhile figuring this out.

Gary

simsgw

In the spirit of an Irish wake, I began her globe-spanning toast with a splash of whisky in a hotel room near the Neptune facilities 75 miles from home. I don't drink, but with a nearby bed and a vague memory of it being bad form to leave a bottle half-full at an Irish wake, I finished the wee bottle and spent the night remembering. Just remembering.

This morning, I picked her up for our last trip together, and scattered her ashes at sunset where she had asked them to be. At nine tonight, I closed the 24-hour toast with a rather small glass of Graham's ten-year-old port:

And on another group, a daughter is being married in Portugal as I say goodbye to Cindy here. I toasted her in turn, hoping she'd have a marriage as long and happy. And when her marriage comes to its natural end, as all good marriages must, I prayed that "the one who stays" will have the comfort of friends as fine as those who've helped me through this.

Thank you all,

Gary