Day 60 – Life Goes On

Yesterday I wrote from the heart about the loss of a close friend and the burden of letting another close friend, her husband, down. Today I began the road to recovery, a much easier path for me than for Denny.

My wife and I drove up to Mesa, a growing town on the southeast side of Phoenix, to purchase a memorial stone made of flagstaff. It was a two-hour drive there and the same coming back, but it felt good to do something in remembrance of a dear friend.

A part of me yesterday wondered if I should have written my blog at all. I thought it might be best to keep such things to myself. After all, I haven't written much lately. How would anyone know I refrained from writing out of sadness and regret?

Sometimes life gives you a sign, however. I was thumbing through the channels last night in search of something to watch and came across the movie Julie and Julia. I had seen it before, of course. It was the catalyst for undertaking this quest and writing this blog. It is what JNJ stands for, a tip of the hat to the original. I tuned in at the scene where Julie is preparing Beef Bourguignon for someone of note. She falls asleep before it is done and ends up burning it. The next day she calls in sick to work and prepares the dish again, only to have the person cancel at the last minute. From there Julie and her husband get into a fight. She blogs about the disaster and almost blogs about the fight, but deletes the text after recalling her husband's admonition not to.

The point is, not all of Julie's blogs were upbeat and lighthearted. She had to deal with real life while going through her quest as do I. So, in the final analysis, I don't regret blogging about the loss I felt. It was necessary, a process we all go through from time to time. I just did it more publicly on this occasion.

Today I began the road to recovery. I had a couple of old favorites, Sam Adams Boston Lager and Sam Adams Light. Personally I prefer the taste of the Light to the original, but both are very good. It was a step in the right direction for me.

Here's looking at you, kid.

Goal...............524.....365
Progress..........116.......61
Remaining.....408.....304