She’s moving back to D.C…….

My friend Felicia is moving back to Washington DC. She has been here in Houston for 17 years and it has become necessary for her to move back to where her children are. This wonderful woman is 73 years old and she has a doctorate in science and education. She has been a school teacher, counselor and an assistant principal. I have known her, through our church, most of the time she has been here. From the very beginning we became best buds.

She raised four children mostly as a single mother. She told me that when her husband put a gun in her face and beat her up that it was time to “ditch” him. At the time this happened she already had her bachelor’s degree and was teaching school. After her divorce, she went back to school to get more education. Her parents helped her raise the children and she somehow made it all the way through her doctorate. Felicia is one tough mama. I have heard so many stories about her family that I feel like I know each one of them personally.

In the last year and a half, I have noticed that her memory was starting to go. In the last four months it has gone down hill. She forgot to pay her house payment and she would repeat the same story about six times in thirty minutes. She forgot how to get to my house even though she had driven over here numerous times. TF and I were getting worried about her. Thank goodness for Rodney, her youngest son. He called up a couple of weeks ago and asked her to move up with him. A new assisted living center has been built right behind his house. He knew she would not move in with him but he knew he could get her into this center. When things get to a point where assisted living is no longer workable, she can move two blocks away to an Alzheimers center. I keep telling myself, this is all part of life. The good thing is that Felicia understands this. She says that the Lord has “kept” her and taken care of her all these years. She is apprehensive about the move, but she’ll do just fine.

My husband and I are kind of taking charge of the move. Felicia’s friend, Virginia and I are packing her up. We have gone through her closets and given many of her things to the Salvation Army. You see, Felicia is going from a very large, three bedroom house, to a very small, two bedroom living area. Over her lifetime, and the last seventeen years, she has accumulated many things. There is a whole lifetime of stories in the things that she has. I try to get my work done in the mornings and go over there in the afternoons. A realtor will be putting the house up for sale soon, but there are things that need to be fixed before we can do that. My son in law has a dry wall business and he will be taking charge of fixing things for her in exchange for some of her furniture. Her chimney needs repair and there is a large tree in the back yard that has a root growing under the house. We have been told, by the realtor that it needs to come out. When the time comes, men from the church will come over and load up the U-Haul and a friend will be driving it up to DC for her. Sooooo…much to do!

Felicia has been one of my best friends. I have learned a lot from her and she has been like a grandmother to my children. When she is gone, I will miss her more than you can imagine. I thank God for friends like her.

Just a side note: I was able to find TF some good "last minute" airfare to West Palm Beach this weekend. He will be flying in and then driving the rest of the way to Vero Beach to visit with his parents. Bonnie (my daughter) is working in Fort Lauderdale this week so she will drive over on Sunday and have dinner with them. TF's mom had cancer surgery last Sept. and she is able to let him come visit now. I am so glad that he can do this every so often.

If you are interested in finding some good "last minute" airfare, go to: http://www.smartertravel.com and sign up for their weekly specials.