January and 2024

It has been a minute since I have made a post…

In a lot of ways life has been going well.  We traveled extensively in December and made a trip to Florida to do a celebration of Michele’s sister Linda’s Birthday with her family and her other sister’s, Sharon, family.

We managed to have a good time in Florida despite it being a bit colder than expected. Linda rented a beautiful home on Siesta Key Beach! We managed a bunch of people in a house with only 2 bathrooms. Considering the Sisters grew up in a home with only 1 bathroom… It was a true luxury! 

I am still trying to get the smoke smell out of a jacket I wore near the bonfire. Maybe it is supposed to remind me of the laughter we all shared a little longer.

Toby Keith

Toby Keith passed away yesterday at the age of 62 after a 2 year battle with Stomach Cancer. It brought up many unexpected emotions for me. Life is precious and time is short. None of us escape death. I find myself telling more people how old I am these days. the response to me saying I’m 57, is often met with your 57? And I have to reflect how much time that it is that I have walked this earth. Shit gets real when you realize he was a short 5 years older than I am today.

His songs are soundtracks stuck in many of our heads. His long time manager suggested that he was far more of a person of strength and courage than his music and career would leave us to believe. I like that. The closest people to us may know our strengths far greater than our headlines, our jobs, and our successes may lead one to believe.

May he be at peace and hope that he is preparing the ultimate red solo cup for us all.

New Energy

2024 is launching with a new energy here at the Alleman household. Michele is feeling better and stronger. Which means she is back to being a tremendous handful! (Love you babe!). Her energy levels are nearly back to pre-cancer and she is loving the new world of talking to clients and agents over the phone. Having recently sat in the passenger seat of the car with her driving, I can say I am grateful that she is not driving all over town like so many years in the past. 8-). She is a good driver. Sometimes aggressive! but still a good driver. It is safe to ride with her. Trust me!

 For much of this Cancer season, I have been under the fog of caretaker. It came from the duty of love and support that the commitment of marriage sets us to honor. That whole in Sickness and for worse parts of the vow… you know! As she has come to life, it has allowed me the head space to “re-engage” in life with the time ahead.

The support for our agency is increasing as well as my engaging in other areas. I find myself crashing at the end of the day quickly. Michele and I are working on our minds and thought processes daily to strengthen us against future storms. I have fought many “Lows” in my life and now find many more “highs”. Hey… Lows still hit, but they appear to be less important than our focus on legacy in the time we have left.

“Cancer Sucks“

To quote my good friend Wes… I had no idea at this stage in my life I would be surrounded by the warriors that are battling forms of Cancer. I am smart enough to know (as exhibited at MD Anderson) that Cancer is and has always been around us. Some days we are more aware of it. 

I don’t want to list out everyone I know personally going through it and facing it head on and those that have fought and have won a reprieve. I think Toby Keith reminds us that it is a part of a greater plan and we face it and live our best. I am always thinking of you and your care givers more than you can imagine.

Back to Michele

She is rocking that silver hair! She works hard everyday. She sleeps late. She is loving exploring being a grandma with a “toddler”. Something we did not get to appreciate with our oldest grand-daughter. She is back to loving her shopping! A lot of it online with her new fascination with TEMU. (I still have my Amazon Addiction). 

She is getting back to exercising. (so that means I am too… well at least walking).  She looks for ways to combine exercising and working all the time. 

As she is working with more clarity, I think our Doctor is relieved to know that we do not have as many travel plans this year. Don’t worry.. we have a few. I am excited to see what NEW accomplishments she will achieve. What new things she will attempt and succeed in.

I hope to continue to honor the exceptional human being that she is in this blog and I know that their is much more to her story to write.

Let’s all be our greatest in 2024.