| The next few days I spent every waking hour at the hospital staring at this beautiful boy through a glass window. Barb at one point mentioned I spent more time at the nursery than I did with her. The next three years Michael and his mom, a single parent, lived with us as I helped to raise him. I still had two other daughters that I was raising so we all pitched in and had so much fun watching Michael and all his antics. He had a smile that never quit on his good days. |
| . Barb found herself unable to raise both boys alone so Chris went to live with his dad. I think Mike was a little unhappy about losing his brother this way. Now, I may be wrong but this is also when I started noticing Michaels� depression. Michael showed anger over the fact that his biological father was no where to be found. In the 90�s I acquired a computer and we went on line together in search of this person. For awhile it worked, keeping Michael satisfied that we were at least searching, but not for long. |
 |
 |
| �Good Days�, as I look back and watch videos , was what they were. Michael had a temper, one we laughed at when he was two and three, but one that grew to the point that I later learned, scared his mom. I remember one time when my hubby (grandpa) wanted to give him a fishing filet knife for Christmas and Barb and the girls gave a resound NO! We had no reason why, he was certainly old enough. We didn�t know about his anger toward his mother. |
| I'm going to live my life Like every day's my last Without a simple good-bye It all goes by so fast And now that you're gone I can't cry hard enough No I can't cry hard enough For you to hear me now I'm going to open my eyes And see for the first time I've let go of you like A child letting go of his kite There it goes up in the sky There it goes beyond the clouds For no reason why I can't cry hard enough No I can't cry hard enough For you to hear me now I'm going to look back in vain And see you standing there When all that remains Is just an empty chair And now that you're gone I can't cry hard enough No I can't cry hard enough For you to hear me now.. Christine Collister |
 |
 |
| II�m recalling a day when Michael was, probably around 7 years old, they had a grandparents day at school and it�s all he could talk about . He called to invite me the week before. The day of this event we had one of the worst storms I�ve seen then or since. Hail, wind and rain, but I�d made a promise and I was going to keep it. Because of this, and the traffic, I was very late. When I walked into the classroom he was elated I�d made it and when I saw that smile and sigh of relief, I was too. �I didn�t think you were coming Grandma�. I wanted to cry because obviously he was distraught over the idea that I might not be coming. I hugged him right in front of his friends and I could tell he was a little embarrassed so I pulled up a small chair and sat next to him�.you know, those chairs made for 2nd graders� NOT me! |
| If I could count the tears that have fallen It would seem like an ocean to me If my heart were a window the world could look through Oh, the pain and scars it would see. But tears will never stain the streets of that city No wreath of death on my mansion doors Teardrops aren't welcome beyond the gates of Glory Cause the heart will never break anymore! I have questioned the loss of a loved one Cause the grave seems so final and cold But we'll meet again where death has no victory In the land where we'll never grow old. I've never met one man without sorrow I've never looked into eyes without pain But I know a land where grieving is a stranger And songs of joy are the only ones we will sing. -Dottie Rambo |
 |
| The grandparents were asked to tell stories about when we were 7 years old and the only one I could remember was the first (and only) time I had skipped school to go sledding on a big hill. Now, that went over really big!!! I�d made a smash at his school and he was sooooo proud! Over the years we started realizing Michael was unhappy about not having a father figure in his life and the biological father was always in hiding for fear of paying child support. Michael never met him. None of us did. When Michael was three, a baby brother arrived and he couldn�t have been happier. He loved showing off his brother, Christopher, kissing him and hugging him. His mom married Christopher�s dad shortly after this birth and it was a marriage that didn�t last |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
   |
 |
 |
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
|
|
 |
 |
 |
| to view my "old" guestbook: |