MY NEW BEGINNING

For those of you who may have missed Sanford's Memorial web site and/or Our Celebration of Life Weekend click or copy/paste these links: http://memorialwebsites.legacy.com/ourhero/Homepage.aspx
http://www.kodakgallery.com/ShareLanding.action?c=6749cvu.mb9ln9y&x=0&y=xhc0w5&localeid=en_US

Your messages meant more to me than you know. I'm blessed.. doing better than I would ever have imagined, IF, I had thought that my beloved Sanford would predecease me. I realize now that subconsciously I thought that he was invincible... His Mom lived to be 104 years old [he had so many of her genes], he had survived and bounced back after 5 cancers, plus 2 that returned, which I'm sure is basically the reason that I expected him to bounce back again after his last illness too. But it was not meant to be.

Monday, I embarked on my New Beginning.. I confirmed a 4 day Caribbean cruise, traveling alone. I have always needed alone time and I have not been alone for 24 hours since Sanford left us on November 16. When I acknowledged that I do need time alone I took action. My family is proud of me and they all agree that it should be good for me. Having taken so many cruises in the past and liking cruising the way I do.. there should be no problem... I'm not shy nor easily intimidated. Alone.. no one will be concerned about when or why I do or don't do whatever... I can be sociable when and/or if I wish. I'll have my MP3 player and some good books. Later this summer we plan, God willing, to take another family cruise... Our first and last one was in 2005.

I do hope the weather hasn't been treating you as badly as I've seen on TV.

You know why it was so cold on Inauguration day, right? Because the white people said it would be a cold day in hell before a black becomes president!

The happiest people don't necessarily have the best of everything.. they just make the best of everything they have.

HAPPY NEW YEAR

Happy New Year!!! My wish for you is that 2009 is one of the the best years of your life!
I expect it definitely will be one of the most challenging years of my life. But with the grace of God, I will face the future as I know Sanford would want me to.

There was so much I felt I needed to say and now that I'm here, the words won't come. Honestly, there are no words to truly express how thankful I am to all of you for your loving support and the kindness you showed me during the sadest days of my life.

I am aware of just how blessed I am to have such a loving family and caring friends. Toni, Risse, Jese and Kari came from Atlanta to spend Christmas with Colette, Noelle and me. God bless them...during the holidays, they really helped to fill the vacum left by Sanford.

When Donald passed away in 2007, I was so impressed and proud of how strong Pam was and how well she handled becoming a widow. I told her then, "You are so strong. I want to be like you when I grow up". As she was leaving to return home to Atlanta in December, she said to me "Mommy, you are grown up now and you ARE strong!!". We have a rare role reversal here... My Daughter is my role model.... She has reinforced my belief that I can and will make it alone.

I've lost the love of my life, but I still have my family and friends, for which I shall be forever grateful.

As was Said "Better tohave loved and lost , thannever to have loved at all"

Love y'all!!