What a Discovery!

Today I was digging through the hall closet. I'm getting ready to list my house and trying to get everything ready so I can start showing it.

I pulled several coats from the closet so that it won't be packed so full. And, I ran across Kenny's Polartec jacket. It's the dark blue and black one that he wore all the time. I held it for a moment, then laid it on the stairs so I could take it up and put it in my suitcase. As sappy and sentimental as I am, there is no way I will ever get rid of that jacket. No way!!

Later this evening, I got a little chilly, so I grabbed that jacket from the stairs and put it on. My...what a comforting feeling to wrap myself in it. I stuck my hands in the pockets...and discovered they were still filled with some of his things. I found the spare key to his Dodge Magnum. I suppose it's the key he used when he drove back to Maryland in May 2007. And I also found his orange John's Hopkins card...it's like a charge card with his name and hospital ID number embossed on it. They isse these cards to patients who are "frequent fliers" so that they may gain quick entry to the hospital without going through all the crazy registration and paperwork. I had wondered when I sifted through his wallet last year, where that card had gotten to. Finally...the mystery is solved.

I also found three gas receipts from Sunbury, Ontario in Canada. They are dated May 2007, from the fishing trip Kenny and Kyle took two months before he died. He had returned from that trip and went right into the hospital for a while.

I also found his Air Tran boarding passes dated June 14, 2007. Ken got out of the hospital and flew home for the weekend. We celebrated Father's Day and Mom's birthday here with Mom and Dad. It's the last time we were all together.

Yes, I started to cry. Just a little, just a little. And I'm still sitting here wearing his jacket while I'm typing this blog. Of course, I'm keeping those receipts. I will give them to Kyle. They even have Kenny's signature on them. I know my Kyle will want to keep them as a memento of a very special fishing trip with his Dad. Oh my...this is still not easy...