Sep 6, 2008

(Pictured my Great Grandma Josie, Momma, Me, Mimi, Gramps) It is really crazy how your life can change so much in 31 days.   In the past 23 years, my life has been fairly easy to deal with.  I am a fairly simple person who lives a fairly simple life.  I have a good job, a great home, and a wonderful family.  I’m into my own “things” and have tons of really “cool” hobbies.  I am loving my new web startup swindlr.com, more than any job I have ever had.  I’m not homeless, not doing drugs, and not in any trouble.  But, somehow, my life has taken a bizarre turn for the “worse”. Week 1. My grandfather is admitted to the Las Vegas Hospital 5 minutes from his home.  He was having back problems, after standing up and watching the World Series of Poker for 3 hours.  This was something that he loved to watch every year in Vegas and would not miss it for the world.  As it turns out, the Lymphoma in his body had spread to his spine.  My Gramps was very brave and had surgery to take care of his back and was recovering nicely.  He then got transfered to a rehab facility where he started to recover from this major operation.   During rehab, my Gramps somehow caught an infection in his colon.  He was taken back to the hospital where he started being treated for this infection.  I flew out to Vegas that weekend, because I knew that he was not doing so well.  Gramps and I didn’t get to chat that much when I was there, but we managed to speak our peace.  I will never forget the words that he spoke to me that day in the hospital.  I also got to spend some time alone with my Mimi who was having a very hard time with this situation.  We went to our favorite restaurant, and went and played her favorite game, BINGO. Week 2. When I got back from Las Vegas, I received news that my other grandmother was having multiple strokes and was dying.  I landed in KC at 1 a.m. and went to her nursing home to be with my mom and family.  I got to say goodbye for the last time, but she held on somehow after that for about 2-3 days.  My grandma finally died after struggling and holding on for so long.  She is no longer in pain, and it is such a relief to know that.  We had a small ceremony for my family to attend, and we ate like kings in Humansville, MO.  I think I ruptured my stomach eating fried chicken and mashed potatoes. Week 3. My girlfriend and I have had quite the relationship.  We reconnected many years after we met originally in High School.  Things were just friendly at first, but we started to get closer as the months went by.  She went to school 2 hours away, so it was hard to make things work, but we sure tried our hardest.  I can honestly say that I have never met a girl quite like her.  She had a way of calming me, and making me feel amazing at all times when I was with her.  We balanced each other out, and tried to keep it going even when it was hard.  She moved back to KC about 3 months ago, and it was a very stressful time.  I had started swindlr, and was working 60+ hours a week, and she had started a new internship and was feeling overwhelmed.  Things started to drift to the poles and she decided to end the relationship.  We floundered for a few days and then decided to call it quits for good.   Sometimes I can not understand women.  They have minds that think in the most interesting ways.  It is what it is.  I can’t change the past I can only decide how to live in the future.   Week 4. My Gramps had not been doing well at all in the hospital, so they moved him to Las Vegas Hospice.  We hoped that his pain would slowly go away, and he would start to feel much better.  Gramps, died that night at the hospice center.  It was a shock to us all, and is probably one of the hardest things I have ever had to hear. My Gramps and I were like 2 peas in a pod.  We had so much in common and loved spending long summers in Vegas together.  We played golf, collected toys, talked non stop and had the best time.  I haven’t really figured out life without him yet.  It is almost like it is not real, and he will be calling me soon to tell me about the latest food and movies. “Life is not easy”.  I can now officially say that.  Trust me, I have said this line many times in my life, but it has never meant what it means now.  Everyday I wake up thinking that it was all a bad dream, but in reality it has really happened.  My life goes on.  I am surrounded by amazing people that want to do great things, and that is what matters.  My Gramps and grandma, would have wanted to see me succeed and do something with my life that I love.   It is hard pouring so much of your time, love, and energy into these relationships, and then have something “bad” happen.  It is hard to know that you might not get to see this person ever again.  It is hard to forget all of the amazing unforgettable times you have spent with this person.  It is hard to know that this person might not feel the way that you do, and you have no way of knowing.  It is hard to move forward from something like this month when all that has happened is negative things.   Life is really crazy sometimes and it can change so much in 31 days.  However, the way that I see it, my life will be crazy for the next 75 years.  I have to remember and love the past, but be excited and hopeful for the future. -Chase

(Pictured my Great Grandma Josie, Momma, Me, Mimi, Gramps)

It is really crazy how your life can change so much in 31 days.  

In the past 23 years, my life has been fairly easy to deal with.  I am a fairly simple person who lives a fairly simple life.  I have a good job, a great home, and a wonderful family.  I’m into my own “things” and have tons of really “cool” hobbies.  I am loving my new web startup swindlr.com, more than any job I have ever had.  I’m not homeless, not doing drugs, and not in any trouble.  But, somehow, my life has taken a bizarre turn for the “worse”.

Week 1.

My grandfather is admitted to the Las Vegas Hospital 5 minutes from his home.  He was having back problems, after standing up and watching the World Series of Poker for 3 hours.  This was something that he loved to watch every year in Vegas and would not miss it for the world.  As it turns out, the Lymphoma in his body had spread to his spine.  My Gramps was very brave and had surgery to take care of his back and was recovering nicely.  He then got transfered to a rehab facility where he started to recover from this major operation.  

During rehab, my Gramps somehow caught an infection in his colon.  He was taken back to the hospital where he started being treated for this infection.  I flew out to Vegas that weekend, because I knew that he was not doing so well.  Gramps and I didn’t get to chat that much when I was there, but we managed to speak our peace.  I will never forget the words that he spoke to me that day in the hospital.  I also got to spend some time alone with my Mimi who was having a very hard time with this situation.  We went to our favorite restaurant, and went and played her favorite game, BINGO.

Week 2.

When I got back from Las Vegas, I received news that my other grandmother was having multiple strokes and was dying.  I landed in KC at 1 a.m. and went to her nursing home to be with my mom and family.  I got to say goodbye for the last time, but she held on somehow after that for about 2-3 days.  My grandma finally died after struggling and holding on for so long.  She is no longer in pain, and it is such a relief to know that.  We had a small ceremony for my family to attend, and we ate like kings in Humansville, MO.  I think I ruptured my stomach eating fried chicken and mashed potatoes.

Week 3.

My girlfriend and I have had quite the relationship.  We reconnected many years after we met originally in High School.  Things were just friendly at first, but we started to get closer as the months went by.  She went to school 2 hours away, so it was hard to make things work, but we sure tried our hardest.  I can honestly say that I have never met a girl quite like her.  She had a way of calming me, and making me feel amazing at all times when I was with her.  We balanced each other out, and tried to keep it going even when it was hard.  She moved back to KC about 3 months ago, and it was a very stressful time.  I had started swindlr, and was working 60+ hours a week, and she had started a new internship and was feeling overwhelmed.  Things started to drift to the poles and she decided to end the relationship.  We floundered for a few days and then decided to call it quits for good.  

Sometimes I can not understand women.  They have minds that think in the most interesting ways.  It is what it is.  I can’t change the past I can only decide how to live in the future.  

Week 4.

My Gramps had not been doing well at all in the hospital, so they moved him to Las Vegas Hospice.  We hoped that his pain would slowly go away, and he would start to feel much better.  Gramps, died that night at the hospice center.  It was a shock to us all, and is probably one of the hardest things I have ever had to hear. My Gramps and I were like 2 peas in a pod.  We had so much in common and loved spending long summers in Vegas together.  We played golf, collected toys, talked non stop and had the best time.  I haven’t really figured out life without him yet.  It is almost like it is not real, and he will be calling me soon to tell me about the latest food and movies.

“Life is not easy”.  I can now officially say that.  Trust me, I have said this line many times in my life, but it has never meant what it means now.  Everyday I wake up thinking that it was all a bad dream, but in reality it has really happened.  My life goes on.  I am surrounded by amazing people that want to do great things, and that is what matters.  My Gramps and grandma, would have wanted to see me succeed and do something with my life that I love.  

It is hard pouring so much of your time, love, and energy into these relationships, and then have something “bad” happen.  It is hard to know that you might not get to see this person ever again.  It is hard to forget all of the amazing unforgettable times you have spent with this person.  It is hard to know that this person might not feel the way that you do, and you have no way of knowing.  It is hard to move forward from something like this month when all that has happened is negative things.  

Life is really crazy sometimes and it can change so much in 31 days.  However, the way that I see it, my life will be crazy for the next 75 years.  I have to remember and love the past, but be excited and hopeful for the future.

-Chase