Two years ago it was July 2019. 24 months. It was hot and rainy. The usual summer weather. The grass was bright green and shooting up every day. I remember a certain Saturday. We lived on 10 acres and cutting the grass was a huge job. I usually took care of all of it but I thought it would be helpful to have my wife Charlotte help. She agreed to take on the front yard. Not a real big yard but with the heat and humidity in the summer it's still difficult.
I rode the tractor around cutting the fields and she attacked the front yard with our push mower. If Charlotte spent too much time in the sun she would overheat. After mowing the front yard she was flush and had a bit of a headache. I helped her into the house, cooled her off with a damp towel and a cold glass of water. I specifically remember looking at her face.
I forget the details of the rest of the day but our Saturdays tended to all be the same. Work around the property. Gather up all the trash and drive it over to our local dump. Get cleaned up. Go to the grocery store. Saturdays were our only day to go out for dinner together. So we would go out to one of the handful of local restaurants we loved. This was our regular Saturday routine for the previous 18 years.
I'm sure we spent the whole day together. We spent almost every day together. Like a lot of older couples we were at that point in life were things were getting comfortable and secure. We were both happy in our jobs. We had saved a little money and weren't struggling to pay our bills. We had a modest home that we loved. I lived to make her happy. I would try to do or say something to get her to smile. We were devoted to one another. We thoroughly enjoyed each others company. We didn't fight. We loved each other.
Just two years ago, on that Saturday in July 2019 Charlotte had no idea she had a cancerous tumor growing inside her. Two weeks later we would get the worst news of our lives. Just 15 months later she would be dead. It all happened so fast. 24 months. Life is short. Take care of your people. Cherish those you love.