4th of July Memories

[AndreaWilson_Founder]

I remember my sister Adrienne's last 4th of July in 2001. She had undergone only two rounds of chemotherapy and had already lost 18 pounds in six weeks (12.5% of her body weight). Here's an excerpt from my book Better Off Bald: A Life in 147 Days.

We left Arizona yesterday morning, which was the fourth of July. Coming home, the drive only took eight hours. I promised John we would be back in time to see the fireworks; we have a perfect view of the city’s annual show from our house. However, he didn’t bother to come outside and watch them. Adrienne peered up at the sky for a few minutes before going in; she was feeling light-headed and had a low-grade fever again. I felt empty as I watched the fireworks dazzle the sky reminding me of Adrienne’s various hair colors over the last year: red, purple, blue, and then blue again. The doctors won’t let her dye the stubble that clings to her scalp, but they have given her medicine labeled with a skull and cross bones. This world makes no sense. Unable to muster up any enthusiasm, I go inside too, the fireworks already forgotten.

Cherish your loved ones this 4th of July and enjoy every minute of it.

💙Andrea

[DancingEyes63 Moderator Caregiver]

Thank you so much for sharing that memory Andrea. Yes, cherish every minute and make memories every day. The Fourth of July has always been a big deal for Jimmy and I. After I had filed for my divorce, our first "out in public date" was attending the local Fourth of July Celebration in our little town. EVERYONE attends and Jimmy was thrilled to walk around with me on his arm so everyone would know that we were "he-ing and she-ing" as he put it. I'll also always remember our last Fourth of July together in 2022. We had decided to stay at home and instead had some close friends over to BBQ. We sat out on the patio at dark and watched the neighbors fireworks going off all around us. The first 4th we never dreamed that we'd only have 9 more together. So live each day to the fullest and don't assume that you can do something next year or even next month. Do it NOW. ❤️Sharon Dixon