Monthly Archives: February 2016

Hard Choices

Family

Peggy and I had so much fun hosting clients at the season opening game for LSU last night. Fun night, beautiful weather, great time.

Today Peggy and her siblings had to make the choice that every child or spouse dreads. Except Peggy is the only child here with her mother. We admitted Peggy’s mother, Mary, into hospice tonight.

As I have discussed before, Peggy’s mother has severe Alzheimer’s and we moved her here to Baton Rouge last January to be close to her. Today she had a stroke. As Peggy said, no more trips to the hospital, no more tests she doesn’t understand, we’re just going to make her comfortable.

Mary has been telling us for the past few years that she is ready to see Jesus. We are asking our friends to pray that happens soon. That is really hard to ask for someone you love, but she has truly fought the good fight through Alzheimer’s disease. She deserves the victory.

Peggy has worked so hard to make her Mama comfortable since this journey began. The countless trips to Dallas before the move to Baton Rouge. Taking her to all of her doctor appointments and meeting with the staff at the care facilities. Fighting for her VA benefits when it felt like she was banging her head against the wall.

She would tell you tonight that it is nothing compared to what her mother has done for her. And the decision she made tonight was about making her Mama comfortable until the end.

I am always proud of my beautiful wife.

I cannot think of a time I have been prouder than tonight.

Mary with her children

 

I still can’t believe I get to do this

Observations

So, when I accepted the job that brought me back to Louisiana, I never really mentioned the fact that I grew up here. Everything on my resume’ indicates an entire career spent in Texas, and even my undergraduate degree is from the University of Texas at Dallas. I didn’t try to hide anything, I just never thought it was worth mentioning.

When I went to LSU in 1980 I had one desire, to play baseball. I walked on and made the team, but due to a variety of injuries and other reasons I never got to take the field for the Tigers during a game. No success, but no hard feelings, either.

I went back to Texas, married Peggy, finished school and went to work in Dallas. I spent thirty years building a professional reputation in Texas.

Back to the hiring process. When it became apparent that they wanted me to take the job, Peggy and I had dinner with the couple we would be replacing in the company. At dinner, Bill told me that one of the problems with the job was that the company had club seats at the LSU football games and a box at the baseball games, and sometimes you just had to bite the bullet and attend the games for the good of the company. Peggy and I remained completely stoic and I gave Bill the reassuring nod that I understood and that it was a sacrifice we were willing to make to ensure the company’s success.

So, tonight was opening night for the LSU baseball team, and Peggy and I had to go to the game. It’s a sacrifice, but I think we will survive it…

Geaux Tigers! Opening night win against Cincinnati in twelve innings…

February 12, 2016

Life Its Own Self

That is today’s date. This is today’s location…

Isn’t this what your February looks like?

I had to be in Lake Charles for work yesterday and today, and today it is 84 degrees and we are at the pool. It is completely perfect.

I do not share this to torment those of you in cooler climes (though that does sound like something I would do). In fact, if you choose to live where it is cold a majority of the time, in the immortal words of Billy Joel, “Go on and cry in your coffee but don’t come bitchin’ to me.”

I actually am sharing this so that I will be able to remind myself in August when the inevitable string of 95/95 days (you know, 95 degrees with 95% humidity) hits, that there was a time earlier this year when the weather was perfect, I was sitting in and by the pool with this gorgeous lady, and everything was awesome.

If you do want to feel tormented, though, please feel free…