End of a Generation

Shirley and Robert Bissonnette 

On January 10, 2019, I officially became an orphan. With the death of my Mother, a whole generation of my family is now gone.  Those of us who were the children of the 40's and 50's are now the next senior generation. 

Shirley Bissonnette and Tom Bissonnette styling!

Over the past ten years, since the death of my father, my sister and I have been the caretaker for my very independent mom of 96.  She has lived alone since the death of my dad in January of 2009.  When dad passed away, my sister and I questioned how long that mom would survive. She and my dad were attached at the hip and had been partners in their marriage for 63 years.  However, this strong lady was unwilling to give in to life and continued on her way through the details of daily living.  

She was a very independent caring and thoughtfull person.  She continued to be interested in today's national politics as well as the local politics.  My mother never really knew her parents as her mother died when she was one year old and her father not long after that.  She grew up under the guidance of her grandmother and cousins. She was a big city girl.

Shirley Bissonnette

My sister and I grew up in a two tenament home in the suburbs, which was owned first by my grandparents and then my parents.  When our grandparents lived downstairs from us a common communication practice was easily banging on the water pipe to alert them that we needed to discuss something.  Each would open the back door and have that discussion in the hallway. 

When my grandparents retired, moved to a livin position at Groton School in Groton, Ma., our cousins moved into the house.  We were lucky to have a home with extended family.

My mother and father worked very hard to make a good life for both my sister and I.  We both had the opportunity to be the first in our family to attend college. Mom and Dad held education as a high priority in our home.  Both my sister and I also new the work world holding jobs once we were in high school.  We certainly learned the lesson of being self-sufficient.

 Well, it has been quite a while since I took the opportunity to write in this blog.  Holidays always bring back memories.  This year many things have taken place that have embellished this review of my life. Over the past couple I have been diagnosed with a life threatening lung disease, Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis.  I am getting excellent care and the disease was caught early.  Currently I have medication that slows the progress of the disease.  

In January 2019, my Mom passed away at the age of 96.  My sister and I then decided to sell the home that we were raised in.  We ran into some deed issues which has slowed the pace of passing papers on the house which have yet been solved.  However, we are currently waiting for the courts to make a final decision which will allow us to complete the transaction.  

Along with these several major issues we currently are in the 9th month of a medical pandemic with the virus Covid 19, running wild through the country. With the underlying lung condition I have I have been extremely careful to make sure I am isolating away from groups of people and situations which could have me vulnerable to this disease.,  

Today I found out that a former colleague passed away at age 73,  I just turned 72.  This man was also a long time educator as I was.  When death takes someone of your own generation who you have known and respected it does lead you to begging wondering about your life.  I have memories and mental photographs of a wonderful childhood.  My sister and I grew up in a two tenement house which in the early years we lived with our parents and our grandparents.  The home was built by my great-grandfather. After my grandparents left we had another family member living on the first floor.  Eventually we had a couple my parents new who lived on the first floor until their dea ths many years later.  Our last tenant was also a cousin and her husband.  Now when I go to check on the house, which is empty, memories of the good times playing in the yard and celebrating holidays with family come rushing back.  

We are all just passing through this life and it is apparent tome that it is our job to make the world a better place, in our small way, for all of us to live.  I hope that my 40 something years of being an educator will have allowed me to touch the lives of many of my students. I am lucky that I do keep in touch with a number of students through social media.  

I plan on taking the time to continue to write in the blog at least weekly.  I hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday.