I had long planned to go to Wyoming in October or November to close the cabin and bunkhouse down for the season. This summer I was in Wyoming for only a week and didn't have a chance to visit much with my Aunt Shirley because Sofia and I were so sick and weren't sure if we were contagious. Aunt Shirley was diagnosed with cancer in June and by the time my parents returned to Louisiana in October she had decided to enter the nursing home where she could get round the clock care if she needed it.
I am so glad I went to Wyoming in November because I got to visit her every day in her last week. She taught me so many life lessons in dignity and self awareness during that brief week. She died a few days before Thanksgiving, when my parents were on their second day of driving to Wyoming.
Her funeral wasn't until the Monday after Thanksgiving, to give family time to travel in during such a busy season. While Ricardo and Sofia went to Libbas, and Hannah traveled to St. Louis, for us, it was a quiet Thanksgiving, just three settings at the table. I have to say, it was also a gift, and a joy, and a pleasure to spend that time with my parents. I very rarely get them to myself, and I really loved cooking our little feast and spending the day together. It will always be a Thanksgiving to remember.
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