In Memory of Ed ...

My apologies for the brevity of this post, typing one handed is beyond mind numbing for me! And my left hand throbs because it wants to play too!

When I was in high school, I knew a girl named Janet.  She was major league challenged.  But, I did not care, after all, I had already found the one for me in tenth grade.  So I managed to avoid all of that high school trauma/drama by being protected by the knowledge that what existed of my heart was safe.  Yeah, we got to move all of that to college age instead when I had a rather rude awakening!

But Janet was the very typical teenager - over the top in all regards!  A mighty unhappy, non-socialized female that guys fled from  --- and she had to be my sister's best friend!  So, I got regular doses of her mental and emotional states - in person or via my sister.  Sigh ...  Really, all she wanted was a boyfriend - but she lacked the social skills needed to attract one.  And high school boys that are "hot" and everyone wants, are not what you should set your sights on in any event.

So, high school rolls by, college goes by, careers begin - my sister Sommer is now getting married to a man she had worked with for many years.  By then I had been shattered years previously - and Janet is still the same annoying teenage girl internally.  She walks near, I suddenly have to find a toilet!  Nothing really changes ...

Now one thing my sister had told Janet years ago, was to stop asking guys to marry her as soon as they met (Yes, she literally did that - one reason she never got a date!).  Instead, ask them if they would like to make shortbread with her.  I remember laughing over that one.  And at my sister's wedding reception there is this very distinguished man, no idea whom he is other than he has a strong Scottish brogue.  I assumed that mother or grandmother had asked him come, since they both cherish their Scottish heritage and think nothing of inviting complete strangers to family events!

Janet walks up to him, introduces herself, he is apparently named Robert Burns, and asks him if he is interested in making shortbread with her ... I about blew my slice of wedding cake across the courtyard!  And they were out of there!

Three months later came the wedding announcement ...

Well, he was Scottish, he was named Ed, he had four adult children, was a poet, loved shortbread and was 45 years her senior!  Yeah lots of family hysterics over that one.  I was, as usual, the lone voice saying, "If they are in love (truly committed to one another) then age/race/job/baldness/'what ever!' - makes no never mind!"  I am usually the lone non-bigot in any group.

And Janet, whom has now changed her name to Zelda, Ed whom has legally changed his name to Robert Burns, married and faded from memory.  Other than I would hear of the occasional battle in court between the children and Ed over his getting married again or changing his name ...  They always lost, he was completely competent and she was definitely not a gold digger - he had nothing actually.  They lived off of his meager retirement and her income as a librarian.

Ed's body slowly wore down across the years and began failing weeks ago.  His passing only noted by the lone piper at the memorial and the howl when the children found out there really had been nothing to spend from Ed's life on themselves.  The howl was so bad that their church cancelled the memorial and it had to be moved to an undisclosed bar!  The pastor is still working with the police and FBI over the children's antics - for prosecution!  Yeah, real works of art!

And I grew in admiration of Janet across the years, she stayed with her man to the end, when many would have cut and run in this disposable society.  Twenty-five years they were together and in their little burg they were heralded as the love story of the century in the local paper.  Yeah, not famous, wealthy or anything ... but all whom knew them, were enriched by their love for one another.  It really was sort of a fairy tale.

So, life continues. 
Janet is having to sell off everything there is in order to pay the medical expenses, she really has no idea as to what to do now. 

I imagine she will not be making any shortbread in the near future ...