I'm back

I'd like to thank everyone for their patience this past week. As many of you know, I'm not originally from New Orleans. My husband likes to say that he imported me. :) But the fact is, the hardest thing about living in New Orleans for me is being so far from my family and friends. Two very different events brought me back to New England this week and exemplify just why it is so hard to be 1500 miles away.

The first, and saddest news is that my grandmother passed away recently. She had been undergoing chemotherapy for bone cancer for some time and it was taking quite a toll on her. With her health declining, I made the effort to get back to Boston as often as I could over the past several months. A few weeks ago she made the decision to discontinue chemotherapy and her health began to fail rapidly. In a fortuitous twist of fate, I had a trip to Boston already planned for this past Thursday. Her health was so tenuous that I feared that it wouldn't be soon enough. As my husband and I and Logan sat on the plane, I prayed continuously that she would hang on long enough for me to see her one last time. My family was skeptical that she would make it that long. I prayed the entire two hour drive from Providence, where we landed, to New Hampshire, where my grandmother was staying at my aunt's house. I was warned that she would be unconscious. That she would be unresponsive. I didn't care. I just wanted to see her alive one last time. I had this overwhelming fear that she would pass away just moments before I could get to her.

I'm so grateful that those fears were unrealized. I arrived to my aunt's house that afternoon and for the next three hours I and my other family members took turns staying with her so that there would be no chance that she would die alone. I got to talk to her and tell her how much I loved her. She was unconscious but I believe with all of my heart that she heard me and that she had waited for me to get there and say goodbye. She passed away at around 10 p.m. that evening with my mom, two of my aunts and one of my uncles by her side.

Although my heart aches with the loss of my grandmother, there is another, happier, occasion that brought me north this past week as well - my college roommate's wedding. I was honored to stand in her bridal party and celebrate her special day with her. And not only did I get to celebrate her wedding, but I also got some extended girl-time that I don't often get with her and our other friends very often. Most of my trips to Boston are whirlwind affairs spent driving all over MA and NH and filled with brief lunches and dinners meant to help us catch up. This trip showed me just how much I miss out on them with them by living so far away. I hope to do a better job of staying in touch after this week.

Despite all of the reminiscing and the pull I still feel to the Northeast though, it was good to finally get home to New Orleans late last night. I have a lot to do over the next several days. I have orders that have come in that I need to get out. Proofs that I need to create. Sessions that I need to edit and proof. And the list goes on and on. But I am working on it and if you've emailed me recently and haven't heard back from me yet, please just give me a little longer. I'm working on returning all of my messages today.