Football & Funerals

That's what our week and upcoming weekend hold for us.


Last week we lost a very dear family friend of ours, Shari Delgado. It was sudden and mostly unexpected, and it hit our close-knit group of family friends pretty hard. Shari battled both diabetes and Multiple Schlerosis for many years, and also experienced several seizures in the recent past - she definitely did not have an easy life, and missed out on a lot of things that a healthy 36-year-old would normally be blessed with. But, you would never know it by talking to her. Shari undoubtedly will always be one of the most inspirational people I have ever known - she had every reason to feel sorry for herself, yet she never, EVER did. Many people in her situation would have grown bitter, angry, resentful, or depressed at best... but not Shari. Shari was probably the most cheerful person I've ever met in my life, always smiling, always thinking about everyone else before herself. And that's how we'll always remember her.

Tomorrow Shari's family and friends are celebrating her life with a reception honoring her memory. I was asked to sing as part of the celebration, and was hesitant at first, for fear that it would be too emotional and too difficult. But that feeling only lasted a brief moment until I realized how much Shari would have enjoyed it and appreciated it... and if she lived day in and day out and dealt with everything life threw at her, I could handle singing one song in her honor.


This week has also been a busy one for Nick's football schedule, as he'll be a referee for games three days this week (pretty much the most you can do in a week... another good sign that he's doing pretty well with it). After each game, he comes home and tells me that it's hands-down the most fun he's ever had making money. I'm really happy that he's found a side-job that he really loves, and so far I really haven't minded the nights that he's away, since most nights I'm able to see my Oma after work since she watches Nora for us on those days anyway. The loss of Shari has again reminded me that we all only have so much time in our lives to spend with those that we love, and I remind myself of this each time I go to Oma's house. We have dinner together, talk, and laugh at Nora as she runs around the house with tupperware and fresh-picked cherry tomatoes from the garden while she dances to polka music. Tonight will be the third night this week that I'll be over there, and I wouldn't miss it for the world.