Monday, December 9, 2013

CELEBRATING MY FATHER-IN-LAW

As promised, I'm presenting my top ten most popular posts as part of my one thousandth post celebration. Today I'm skipping ahead to the post in the #2 position. I hope it will help you understand how important my in-laws are to me, and why I want so badly to surprise my mother-in-law with 80 cards for her 80th birthday. She has been through a lot. I want her to know how much she means to me. 

"A Brief Tribute To My Father-In-Law" was first published on February 29th, 2012. It has had 3,107 page views.

Here's #2 on my top ten hits list:

Dear Hearts,

I shall not mention my father-in-law's name here because I do not want to invade his family's privacy.

When I was told on Saturday that he had a heart attack and was in intensive care, I pictured him there, weak but smiling at kind nurses and family members come long distances to see for themselves he was still alive.

But my picture was all wrong. I learned today that when his heart stopped, although a nurse who lived in the neighborhood got it started again, ticking like an old clock, he suffered brain damage. In his hospital bed, he slept the sleep of the dead and never opened his eyes. A coma had captured him. It would not let him loose.

So, today, someone unplugged the ventilator that forced breath in and out, in and out of his lungs. He gasped his last breath and lay still. I know no details of his death or his funeral. Though I feel great love for him, I am not part of his family anymore --- except in my heart, beating on uninterrupted while the tears weep from my eyes.

My father-in-law had a hereditary heart disease. It also killed his father. But in spite of the disease, Grandpa lived to be a little old man who came off the golf course after playing 18 holes and dropped dead from a heart attack.

My father-in-law was told many years ago that he was down to a few months to live, to prepare for death because heart disease was about to lay icy fingers around his throat and squeeze till all life was gone. But he was blessed with a life-saving surgery in another state, and firmly believed that the many prayers said for him saved his life.

Following his surgery, he did not return to his job as a city engineer. He retired and gladly took his pension and played golf every day that the weather was nice. I think he enjoyed those bonus years of living.

I do not know what he was doing before his heart attacked him on Saturday. I hope he was playing golf or enjoying a game of cards with my mother-in-law, whose own heart must ache with a pain beyond comprehension.

The last time I saw him was at The Hurricane's college graduation. I could see that old age had mellowed him. He seemed much more relaxed and happy than when he was younger. He was delighted to see my children. He relished my son's resemblance to my father and said, You look just like your Grandpa Goltz.

I don't think it ever occurred to him to say that this grandson also resembled him.

And, of course, he reveled in the success of The Hurricane. He smiled and chuckled at my cheering when she received her diploma.

Then in August, 2011, he celebrated his 80th birthday. Both my children were there to enjoy the occasion, and enjoy it they did. The Hurricane had spent part of her summer on genealogical research. My father-in-law was delighted to learn some of his family's history from her. He knew very little because two generations of his maternal grandparents' family died young and thus, did not have time to sit at the fireplace and impart the story of their family to younger members.

So, my father-in-law did not know that his great-great grandfather was a Union soldier who is buried in Arlington Cemetery. He did not know he was distantly related to President Franklin Roosevelt and the Spencer family, making Princes William and Harry distant cousins to my children.

Reportedly, he was thrilled with what he learned and enjoyed every minute of his birthday celebration.

I know this only from the reports I received from my children. I was not there. He may have treated me as a daughter, but I was no longer a member of their family. I have written before that divorce destroys families. Sadly, this destruction is true for more than the immediate family of the divorced.

My father-in-law had a rather strange and difficult childhood. His parents divorced when he was very young, uncommon for that time period. His mother left him with her parents. When she came to retrieve him at some point -- I don't know how old he was -- he didn't want to go. His grandfather said he could do as he wished, stay or go. He was welcome where he was.

He stayed, and many years later when his grandfather was alone on this, our planet Earth, he found a home with my father- and mother-in-law.

My father-in-law had a master's degree in civil engineering and was the father of four.

Every time I spoke to him following the divorce, he was extremely kind to me. My ex-husband once accused me of taking money from his parents that was intended for our son and using it for my own enjoyment. I called my in-laws in tears. My father-in-law answered.

He said, Janie, when we give money we don't look back. It's a gift and it never occurred to us that you did anything you shouldn't have.

I don't know how I could have been more grateful for these words.

And so now, he is gone, yet he is not. He lives eternally with our savior, Jesus the Christ, in His heavenly home. He is mourned by his beloved wife of more than 50 years, his children, grandchildren, many friends, and one former daughter-in-law.

Infinities of love,

Janie Junebug


Thus, it is the widow of this dear man for whom I ask you to send birthday cards. My (former) mother-in-law continues to shower me with kindness and love. Please send a card for Margaret to this address:

Janie Goltz
PO Box 61371
Jacksonville FL 32236

I need 46 more cards to reach the goal of 80, and I thank all of you who have already sent cards.

28 comments:

  1. You are so lucky to have good in laws. Not everyone can appreciate good in laws. Hope you get my card on time.
    When is her birthday?
    www.thoughtsofpaps.com

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  2. You are so lucky to have good in laws. Not everyone is that lucky.
    Hope you get my card on time.
    When is her birthday?
    www.thoughtsofpaps.com

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    1. Gosh, PAPS, it was so important you had to say it twice. Don't worry about the card. There's still time.

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  3. Awww, Janie. You are so sweet. And your ex is such a schmuck to not appreciate you. Doggone it, you should have gotten custody of his parents in the divorce. (You know what I mean.)

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    1. I kinda did get custody because they were so responsive to me. My MIL does nice things for me all the time. She doesn't do computers, so I write letters to her.

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  4. He sounds like a lovely man.

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  5. Your father-in-law sounded like a wonderful man!

    Congratulations, you are the winner of the 'Tis More Blessed Giveaway! You will receive hard copies of both of my books. I hope the little girls enjoy them! Would you like me to send them to the PO Box where the cards are going? Here's my email address for your response: sherry.a.ellis@gmail.com. (You can also leave a message on my blog if the answer is, "yes.")

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    Replies
    1. Thank you, Sherry! I'll send the address I want you to use.

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  6. Dear Janie, I remember reading this tribute to your father-in-law earlier this year. It is a loving, poignant portrait of a man who did good with his life.

    I'll send a card today for his wife, your mother-in-law, today. Peace.

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  7. Oh Miss Janie...this story has brought on the tears. God Bless.

    xoxo
    -andi

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  8. A wonderful tribute, and it's easy to understand why this particular post is so popular. Take care.

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  10. What a beautiful tribute to a kind and loving man. I am even more glad now to have sent the card for Margaret. She feels like family, the oneness that Dee talks about. Thank you for this post.

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  11. I, too, was blessed with wonderful in-laws--you & I were both VERY lucky!!

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  12. He sounds like he was a very special man. You were lucky to have him in your life for the time that you did. Beautiful post.

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  13. If they both liked you so much, why wasn't X outvoted? You are the mother of their grandchildren!!

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    Replies
    1. We should have banded together and voted him out of the family. I wish I'd thought of that at the time. See why I need you? You have the best ideas.

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  14. Yes he does sound like a wonderful man, and I am sure your children miss him as much as you do

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    1. They miss him very much, and they value their grandmother highly.

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  15. What a sweet, moving tribute. You were all blessed to have had the times together that you did!

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    1. Yes. I wish there had been more, but nothing can be done except what I do now. I think my MIL will be very surprised.

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  16. Hi Janie. Good to see our cards arrived....thought it would take forever by 'snail mail'!
    Your father-in-law and your your love for him is very admirable indeed. I have a few divorces in my family (sibs) and have seen both sides.....good break-up vs not so good. Everybody suffers. But better than staying together.
    I admire you for 'sticking to your guns' and keeping a relationship with your MIL and I am sure she feels the same.
    Have a wonderful day and a hug/pat to Franklin!

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    Replies
    1. You and Ron and Sophie are the best, Jim. We need more people in the world like you three, and yes, I include Sophie as people.

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