Darrel's Memorial Playground
Connect With Us:
  • Home
  • What is Neuroblastoma?
    • Research Updates
  • About Us
    • Fundraising
    • Related Sites
  • Blogs
  • Quotes
  • Events
  • Images
    • Awareness Images
    • Neuroblastoma Awareness
    • Seasonal Images
    • A Parent's Journey
    • Videos

Sept 9/11 - September Dogs: Four Years Later

9/9/2011

2 Comments

 
September Dogs: Four Years Later
Category: Life

Bella, Baxter, Genie, Brownie, Lilly, and Big Boy.  Those are the names (currently) given to the six puppies Darrel's dog Lady had on July 24th.  We will be keeping Bella (Twilight is very popular with Rebecca and Kira) as a second dog, and Baxter will be going to live with my parents (Grandpa with a Car) The pups are almost 7 weeks old now, and soon they will be old enough to go to their new homes (once we find each of them one).  Our family has become 
growingly attached to them all, especially the girls.

Rebecca, Kira, Lauren, and to a somewhat lesser extent myself have been quite involved with their care and development since the first day onwards.  It has been a much more intensive and consuming endeavour than we first thought it would be (as we were only expecting Lady to have 2 or 3...not 6!!). But, from the birthing, feeding, cleaning, caring for, loving, training, playing with, and eventual separation, the girls will have gone through a wide range of 
experiences and emotions with these puppies that will probably prove to be rewarding for them in the future.

With the coming of the puppies, there has been a steady influx of family, friends, and
potential buyers through our home over the past two months.  In many ways, it reminds me of four years ago, when Darrel's days with us were slowly, yet ever so quickly, dwindling away.  Then too, we had many visitors stopping by.  There were relatives and acquaintances we had not seen and/or talked to in years, and strangers and well-wishers dropping off cards or casseroles.  While the reasons for these household guests are dramatically different,  the
connection to both, even after all this time is still...Darrel.

I can (unfortunately) only imagine what he would have thought of his 'Pups' having six puppies of her own!  The names would have been alot different, with Darrel adding his special flare to that important decison.  The fight over which of them we would be keeping, and
everything else that would go along with are now added to the memories that were never allowed to be created.
 
It has already been a nosiy and busy morning here. I've always been an early riser, even on my days off, so needless to say I'm always the first one up. Once a light is turned on in the house, the puppies think "Play Time" has begun. As I drink my apple juice, I must step very carefully, not knowing where the tiny creatures have deposited their morning offerings all over the floor.
 
For me, it would not be a proper celebration of all things Darrel without Apple Juice, and McDonalds later in the day. He would probably have hated both by now,  and had a long list of new favourite things.  But all his likes and dislikes became frozen in time, and in my heart, on September 9, 2007.

Like it is every year, it is hard to believe the four years have gone by since neuroblastoma took my son from me.  So much has changed in our family with his absence, but our lives were so much enriched during his far too brief of time with us.  It is impossible to
comprehend all that was, is, and could/should  have been, if fate had plotted a different course for Darrel and the rest of  us.  Many people say that "everything happens for a
reason", but I have never met someone who could actually explain the logic in all this to me.

I know I've mentioned the "what ifs" in countless blogs before, but they are always lurking somewhere at the back of my mind.  The memories are reminders what we had, and lost
together, but they sometimes make me want to second guess decisions made long ago as well.  The past is most certainly in the past, and  there is nothing any of us can do to change it, yet the human mind can occasionally try to convince you otherwise.  This is the way it has
always been, and most likely will continue to be.


Love and Miss You Little Man  <3

*************************

Please remember that September is Childhood Cancer Awareness Month.  Showing your support can be as easy as changing your Profile Picture on Facebook or Twitter, wearing a Gold Ribbon, or making a donation to The James Fund for Neuroblastoma Research at
SickKids in Toronto.

The Facebook Event that the Playground is sponsoring has been a great success!!  If you
want to join us, please visit:

http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=137069013049800
2 Comments

Childhood Cancer: THINK about THIS

9/2/2011

2 Comments

 
September IS Childhood cancer Awareness Month

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I want you to THINK about THIS:

 Childhood cancer is like a horror flick

~It's meant to grab your attention

~There WILL more than likely be blood & gore...among other things

~You WILL be left hanging on the edge of your seat

~You WILL do far more than JUST bite your nails

~There IS an age restriction: YOU MUST BE UNDER 20 to actually get a STARRING
ROLE IN it; though occasionally some OVER 20 get the call too! Otherwise you are
left WATCHING HELPLESSLY as your HERO is RUTHLESSLY VICTIMIZED &
TERRORIZED!!

~The villain (a.k.a. Childhood cancer) wears many different masks AND is far
more terrifying than Freddy Krueger, Jason Voorhees & Michael Myers
COMBINED!!

~Your HERO may or MAY NOT come out alive!!

What it boils down to is:

*CHILDHOOD cANCER IS REAL, iT COULD BE COMING SOON TO A CHILD NEAR YOU!!

*NO CHILD IS SAFE!! LOCKING YOUR DOORS WON'T STOP iT!!

*LEAVING HOME, THAT WON'T WORK EITHER; this villain WILL FIND YOUR
CHILD!!

*IF YOU THINK THE HORROR FLICK VILLAINS ARE BAD, THEN YOU HAVEN'T YET MET UP
WITH CHILDHOOD cANCER!! iT MAKES THOSE VILLAINS LOOK LIKE BIT PLAYERS ON  SESAME STREET!!

*DON'T BE CAUGHT UN-AWARE!!

P.S. THE PRICE FOR ADMISSION...ASTRONOMICAL!!

 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

©September 1, 2011
Carla Hood

http://www.facebook.com/#!/notes/carla-forthecure-hood/childhood-cancer-think-about-this/10150282745972982

2 Comments

    The majority of all these entries were written by Darrel's father, Stephen.  For those that are not, efforts have been made to give proper credit where it is due.

    The bulk of the posts are in the June 2011 Archives Section, as that is when I transferred them over to this site.  Category Tags should allow you to find entries easier.

    I've tried to correct spacing issues on many of the entries, as most of the older ones have been copied from different sites I've used in the past. I apologize if some have been overlooked.

    Categories

    All
    Dads In Grief
    Life 2007
    Life 2008
    Life 2009
    Life 2010
    Life 2011
    Life 2012
    Life 2013
    Life 2014
    Life 2015
    Life 2016
    Life 2017
    Life 2018
    Life 2019
    Life 2020
    Life 2021
    Life 2022
    May 26th
    Sept 9th
    Writing And Poetry

    Archives

    September 2022
    May 2022
    September 2021
    May 2021
    September 2020
    May 2020
    March 2020
    September 2019
    May 2019
    September 2018
    May 2018
    January 2018
    September 2017
    May 2017
    September 2016
    May 2016
    September 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    January 2015
    October 2014
    September 2014
    May 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013
    June 2013
    May 2013
    April 2013
    February 2013
    December 2012
    November 2012
    October 2012
    September 2012
    July 2012
    June 2012
    May 2012
    April 2012
    March 2012
    January 2012
    December 2011
    November 2011
    September 2011
    August 2011
    July 2011
    June 2011

    RSS Feed

Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.