MORE SADNESS

 I can't even think of a new title for my posts when another of our classmates passes away.  Every death is sad, of interest to many if not all of us, and news we don't want to hear.  Jim and Linda Day alerted me this morning, as has Paul Silman, that our wonderful Robinson and KHS friend Larry Barnett died last night. He and his family have been in San Antonio for years but he was in touch with several KHS and other childhood friends. He had COVID and in the course of that treatment learned he had an aggressive form of cancer, was in hospital for a day or two and passed away last night. We are once again grieving for a much loved and respected classmate. His was a Kirkwood family for sure. Tim Lapping is also in San Antonio so hopefully they have been in touch but Jim will let Tim know. Mike, Tim's brother and a bit behind us in school, will likely remember Jim and Linda Girard Day too. We were all little kids together, and it's just so difficult to absorb that we are aging as we are....it seems like our lives have flown by! And yet we all have wonderful stories to tell and so many of us have lived good, long lives with great beginnings, we have much to be thankful for. And our memories of those now gone are so rich, we are indeed blessed. Larry will rest in peace and love I'm sure. I will add more info as it becomes available. I have asked Jim to call me next time with some good juicy gossip rather than another piece of sad news.  But it appears in this, the last quarter of our lives, as Bruce Antle kindly described it to me recently, death and illness are going to be prevalent subjects in our correspondence.  When I began doing this, as we planned our 1975 10th reunion in 1974, it never crossed my mind that staying in touch with our classmates this long would be something I would treasure and then would make me so sad.  What a group we are and have been- fun, interesting, smart, adventurous, talented, and now so many gone from that group. 

 I have lost two of my older good galpals in the last month, which is sad in itself, but at least those I expected over the years.  When we are young I don't think we realize what older years are going to bring; yes, the obvious, but perhaps not the sadness that comes with losing our friends.  I'll never forget the words of a former-grandmother-in-law who, at age 104, said to me "I am so angry, I have no one to talk to, no one who cares about what I know or want to say, and the doctor won't even let me walk to the bar [just down the street] and have a beer!"  She died not long after vociferously pronouncing that to me!  I'll never forget it because it was an eye-opener - once we get too old there really isn't much we remember that will also be remembered by those around us.  Jack and I talk about that often as we ruminate through our lives.  STAY WELL everyone!  BTW I am sure the reason that 104 year old woman lived so long is because she always loved beer and of course beer is full of B vitamins; I think her nutrition stood her in good stead!  :-))