What Was I Thinking?

In my last post I said that I was married in 1981. Well, no, I wasn't married, I was diagnosed with MS. I was diagnosed in June 1981 with transverse myelitis (because all my symptoms were below my neck) and not all in my head, as the first doctor I saw in May had told me. Yes, 1981 was the hottest year on record in our corner of the world where it usually rains. I remember sitting in the back yard in my wheelchair under the hawthorne trees with the garden hose running, keeping my legs wet and cool. My neurologist had told me I had "probable MS," but that TM was my official diagnosis. Alas, nobody told me that people with MS are sensitive to heat. It was no wonder that I did so poorly that first summer (well, actually the entire first year).

I was married in 1987, on the hottest day of that year. I sure knew how to pick the day! It was my good great fortune that I was doing phenomenally better by then; the heat didn't faze me in 1987, even with the MS. I couldn't run to save my life, but I also didn't wilt in the heat. But more about that in about a week.

August 1st, I went to a celebration of my niece's marriage which actually took place in Manhattan on June 13th. Her Mom invited 96 of their closest friends and family to a catered eight-course Chinese dinner at the Wing Luke Asian Museum. It was the first family (my side) gathering my DH has attended in several years. He said it surprised him too, but he did it for J., because, after all, "You only get married once." Anyway, I was very happy he was there to celebrate her marriage with me.

Her husband, D., is 6'4", which fits in nicely with the male side of my family. They looked so good together; they seemed really happy - laughing and enjoying meeting and/or catching up with everyone. My niece J. was wearing a lovely coral pink silk dress, and had her long hair pinned up and curled. She looked really beautiful. D. is pursuing a degree in Theology from Columbia University and is a Messianic Jew.

(Messianic Jew: A Simple Definition
A Messianic Jew is a Jewish person who believes that Yeshua (Jesus) is their Messiah. Some people think that a Jewish person who believes in Jesus is no longer a Jew. But what could possibly be more Jewish than believing in the Jewish Messiah, Yeshua?)

J. was baptized Catholic, but was raised more or less non-sectarian Christian. She developed a more eclectic spirituality during two trips to India. So you see, they are a match made in heaven! Here is a picture I took with my phone camera. It's lousy - Bad angle with me sitting and them standing and poor lighting - but here they are.


My two nieces: S. on the left, J. on the right, with D. in between.
[In case you were wondering, S. is half Japanese and J. is half Chinese.
They are one month apart in age.]

Here is a better photo taken by S.'s husband with a better phone camera! I lost the one I took of the two of them because I was so unfamiliar with my camera! I had the two of them laughing out loud - with me, they assured me, not at me.

Silly old Aunt Webster - trying to keep up with the rest of the world's technology!


August 1st was also S's. son Tyler's 2nd birthday! He celebrated it the day before, because really, what two year old really knows what day it is?

Good Night, TTYL and Be Well