I would like to apologize to everyone who visits this web site.  I have been away from this web site since the end of January 2020, due to my sister developing brain cancer.  I am the only living relative that she has.  I was given power of attorney for all of my sister’s affairs.  My whole life has changed dramatically.  I drove about 91 miles one way to visit her each week for months.  My duties were to take over all of my sister’s investment and banking assets, billing, home maintenance, health care payments and cremation.  Most days I spend almost eight hours a day or more taking care of all of the required affairs.  I just can not believe the large to do list that comes with taking over the end of life responsibilities.  Also, it seems that there is some new issue that I have to take care of that I never expected.  I totally love my sister and I came to discover that I failed to be a closer brother to her upon receiving lots of remembrances from her friends, stories that revealed things I never knew about her.

My sister’s passing took place during the corona virus.  Each time I visited her at the Santa Barbara Serenity House, I had to face a new visiting restriction.  At first I had to answer questions as to my health before I was allowed up the parking garage elevator.  Next visit my temperature was taken.  Next trip they asked the same questions, took my temperature and was asked to wash my hands.  Then they restricted visits to only 2 people at a time and then to 1 PM to 4 PM.  The weather during her final months was stormy with lots of rain.  It was almost like the gods had to add really dark theatrics backdrop of a pandemic, weather darkness with rain to her final days.  This also made me feel like I was more important than my sister, that I was being taught some sort of life lesson because of being thrown inside this new movie like theater of amazing dark occurrences.   I really loved my sister and I failed to fully realized how much until I lost her.  I guess the lesson for me is I should attempt to be closer to those who I love but only to the extent they will allow.