Family is Family

    

     I know I promised to get back to political commentary soon but that was before I got a phone call from Mrs. JP's family in Vero Beach this afternoon.
     Not to get into graphic detail, Mr. JP's mother is feeling very poorly and there's some concern in the family this may be her final Christmas. I have to put Barb on a plane at TF Green airport in Providence-Warwick in less than 48 hours and I've had less than two hours at this time to psychologically and emotionally adjust to the realization that not only am I going to be spending Christmas alone, but Barb will be gone for four weeks and won't be back until well into next month.
     There's nothing you can do about that. I have my kids and I should be able to spend some quality time with them. I've already reached out to them so I won't be totally alone on the 25th.
     What is the issue is money. Her family will be underwriting the cost of the round trip ticket but it'll be up to me to put some folding money in her hand before she leaves this Tuesday so she won't go back home for the holidays empty-handed. All told, not factoring in bills that'll be due between now and the end of the year, we have less than $300 in cash.
     I am absolutely not sending her back home for Christmas flat broke so I'll be obliged to take a huge risk and give her maybe half of what we have while leaving myself with little to pay any but our smallest bills, with no guarantee those funds will be replenished. Paying the rent, at this moment, is a pipe dream and unless we receive a holiday miracle, Barb won't have a home to come back to and I may have to tell her to stay there and hope the family can get a refund on the back half of the round trip ticket.
     Several of you reading this have probably already gotten our cards in the mail and believe me when I say that those were sent with no expectation of holiday largesse on your part. Those were pure and simple Christmas greetings from our household to yours.
     Yet, while being painfully aware that peoples' finances are stretched thinner than bargain gift wrap during the holidays, any help would be appreciated during this holiday season.
     While I didn't appreciate being blindsided like this (the sisters have been planning this for a week and only let me know when it started looking like a reality. Someone has to get her to the airport, after all), I realize this is family and my needs, especially since I'm permanently estranged from my own family save my kids, are secondary. But you guys could take a great weight off our minds if we knew well before Xmas whether or not Barb will have a home to return to.