Pal and Karen

For some reason or another, these two have been on my mind more than once lately. Pal and Karen were the neighbors who lived in the red house behind my parents. We used to wander over there as kids and visit. I remember how cool their house felt on a hot summer day. Sometimes she would be canning pickles or relish. They would always welcome us, wandering in from the neighborhood. Even though we were just kids, they still made us feel important. They were the nicest people. Pal had MS and walked with a cane. He always had a nick name for us Squirt, Pancho, etc. He was always such a positive man. Karen would use a high pitch in her voice and greet me with a "Hi Krissy!" She's the only one who ever called me Krissy. They would ask about our extended family, curious how the relatives they knew where. Genuinely nice people. The last time I saw Karen, she'd gotten cancer. It came quick and took her fast. I knew it as soon as she opened the door that day, things were not the same. The high pitch in her voice was gone. She was tired and we didn't stay long. Pal passed away within the last year. Sad to say, I never went to see him when he was in the nursing home. I wasn't sure he would know who I was, but that was not an excuse. I should have gone regardless. I'm told he remained positive and optimistic about life right up until the end. I am fortunate to have introduced three out of my four children to them. Karen just loved babies. I took the boys over there when they were little. I was proud to bring Five over there when she was a baby. This past summer, I wished to bring Baby Girl over to meet Karen. Their son Marky lives there now. He shared some watermelon and cucumbers from his garden this summer. He's not quite the same as his parents, but can bring a smile to your face with a joke or comment. Not everything is passed down from parent to child, but somethings are and it's always nice to recognize those things in a person. I want to post a picture of my parents laughing while holding Baby Girl. It's from our trip there this summer. They are laughing at Marky's joke or comment he'd just shared. Like I said, I'm not sure what made me think of them and these memories, but here they are. Inspired a blog entry, good enough for me.