This has been a rough month on me.

I had an uncle die - after a nine year battle with prostate cancer. His wife stood by him every last inch of the way. His kids got some quality time with him, and he hung on long enough to meet his grandchildren, too. I heard that because he had been in such great shape (he once had been a marathon runner), he lasted longer.

Makes me want to be a couch potato.

I also lost my last grandfather. I lost one last year too, and one when I was only eight. I had one set of grandparents divorce and remarry before I was born, so I started with six. Now I’m down to two grandmothers.

My father’s mother, (let’s call her F) had a penpal halfway around the world when she was a little girl. As the two girls grew up and married, they remained penpals. The other girl - now a woman - sickened and died, but F continued to write to the family she had grown to know through the letters. F and my grandfather divorced somewhere in the midst of this, and she travelled to meet this family halfway around the world. She fell in love with the man who had written her for so long, and they married. I always liked that story - it sounded so romantic to me. My parents once caught them holding hands and watching Godzilla Meets Mothra… Now he’s gone. I’ll always remember the stories he told about the kangaroos and parrots and crocodiles.

Now this week, my sweetie had surgery. Nothing serious, but enough that she spent the night in the hospital. So did I. I guess that’s what you do… Held her hand, wiped some of the blood off her, helped her into the bathroom, things like that. Slept on a crappy little cot, waking every time she coughed or her machines beeped or made a suction-y noise.. Exhausted today, but I’m at her beck and call, getting her ice packs, feeding her, things like that. It’s what you do.

I’m thankful the hospital staff didn’t put up a fuss or anything that we’re a girl/girl couple.. I think legally they still could have, but this place has heart.

Nothing sexy about it, but it was tender. and it was our two year anniversary, too.

Original post by sexykitten