Well, We Got Those Expected April Showers, But........................

                                       Today I say farewell to a month that is one of the difficult ones for our family.  On April 2, my mother's death anniversary, (43yrs.) David and I saw "Funny Girl," with Beanie Feldstein.  You have heard me on that, already.  But I think we were fortunate; seeing it on that date I could sense my mother's validation at doing something that was me, rather than mourning, and especially with someone as loving as my David.

                                          Of course, I read my way through April; currently I am enthralled with "The Love Songs Of W. E.B. Dubois," by Honoree Fanone Jeffers.  Girls, I cannot put its 799 pages down, and I  am nearly halfway through.  I haven't been this excited over a book since.... I can't recall when!

                                            Hayley Mills turned 76, which makes a Baby Boomer like me feel old, not to mention the 50th Anniversary of Joyce Maynard's piece, "An Eighteen-Year-Old Looks Back On Life," that helped launch me as a writer.  And, of course, there was the annual screening of "The Song Of Bernadette," at Easter.  Girls, I cried REAL tears over it, and it took 36 hours for me to recover.

                                             And now, we come to the last day, which is, in some days, the hardest.  Today is, and will always be, my father's birthday; he would have been 107 today, though I had hoped he would have made it to 105.  Alas, he died at 102 in 2018.  In retrospect, I thank God he was not here for the Covid pandemic.  He was spared that nightmare.  Also, on this date my childhood friend, since kindergarten, Doug, passed away.  I still get sad and angry over how things turned out for him; someone who had so much potential, but no drive or direction to pursue it.  And then destroyed himself with alcohol.

                                                 So, I look forward to May, after getting through this difficult day.  Prayers are appreciated.  And I have St. Bernadette around my neck.  She,  David, and my animal friends will look after me.

                                                  I am blessed.  But I gladly say farewell to this month!