Good bye and good riddance to 2011.
My year began in the emergency room and rehab center with Aunt El as she suffered a massive stroke. She is now confined to a wheelchair and needs assistance with everything - including completing a sentence. Her memory lasts less than a minute.
Mother’s Day of 2011 found me admitting my Aunt K into a dementia unit as I was no longer able to care for her due to her advanced Alzheimer’s Disease. She recently celebrated her 90th birthday and has no idea where she is.
Being a caregiver for my two aunts kinda sorta just happened; I can sense my father (their brother) smiling down from heaven somehow. If you are a caregiver, you can understand/appreciate my situation.
My aunts have a brother that is the subject of this diary.
My uncle is privileged to be a member of the 1%. In addition to marrying into wealth, his career on Wall St evolved into making partner with a well known investment banking firm. From humble beginnings as the youngest of five kids, he endured the Depression as a child, served in World War 2, and by all accounts attained the material wealth that is the American Dream. In case you are wondering - yes, he did take advantage of the GI Bill to earn a college degree and rode on the government subsidized train to and from work everyday.
Since retirement, he has served as treasurer for a local Habitat for Humanity group and currently heads up a capital improvement drive for his church. He was a devoted husband to his wife as she suffered for years prior to her death. I have always liked and respected my uncle even if his political views are at odds with everybody else in the family.
Consider this excerpt in his Christmas letter to my two aunts:
The 2012 election is heating up in spades. Really regret that political contributions will exceed charitable contributions next year. But, if that half-pint half-breed in the Oval Office gets another term it may all be academic. But, every black, every liberal, every Jew, and all those receiving federal largesse will vote for him. And since, collectively, all of them comprise a majority the half-breed will probably stay where he is. Sad day. Hate to spend $thousands$ on politics but don’t have much choice. The alternatives are illegal.
This is so wrong on so many levels.
Please help me count the ways by sharing your comments/replies.