With each passing year, I struggle to find something new to say about losing Robbie. Yet, I can’t stop myself. Maybe when we get to the 20th, but I can’t let the 17th anniversary of his passing go unremarked. I watch as those named in his honor grow and thrive. At Shore Leave, the con […]
Our world was turned upside down in January 2008 when Robbie was first diagnosed with leukemia. When we began that journey, we had no idea what would happen or when. As it turned out, the journey was just seven months long. On this date, sixteen years ago, at 8:235 p.m., he left us. Since then, […]
Growing up, Robbie had a small number of close male friends, but he had a ton of female friends. Maybe because he had an older sister, or he took after his father, but he was incredibly comfortable with girls from an early age. While Brooke and Marianne were his two closest companions, he and Kira […]
Fifteen years ago this evening, our world grew smaller. Fifteen is a substantial chunk of time and has been weighing on me as the anniversary date of Robbie’s death approached. All the opportunities missed. Others in our world have died from leukemia; others have miraculously received bone marrow transfusions and survived. I begrudge them nothing, […]
Today, Robbie would have turned 35. A substantive number. His friends are married, raising families of their own. His favorite nurses have all moved on with their careers and lives. For numerous reasons, such as recently losing our dog Albert and other medical issues scattered throughout the family, I am feeling his loss more acutely […]
I can feel it coming, memoires triggered far more easily, and it feels like a countdown. I continue to dwell on those final days, as Robbie grew more tired and then that final day. Fourteen years is a chunk of time, more than half his time with us. This year it feels weightier and despite […]
Robbie would turn 34 today. That’s a solid adult’s age, one inching towards middle age, long past being a kid. His friends thrive, many married, several with kids, and all with interesting careers. Those who have named children after Robbie report his spirit lives within each of them, which is some comfort. There really isn’t […]
We had occasion to visit Robbie’s grave for the first time in a few years, but we cut it short since there was a joyous internment occurring several feet away. Still, it was good to be there. Time continues to tick by. We finally got to meet Robbie Santiago, the third child named in his […]
Last year was tough. A decade is a solid block of time. Notthat eleven years is any lighter, but doesn’t have the same psychic weight. We continue living a day at a time, often getting stopped inour tracks by music, a line from a movie, a reference overheard. All bring backmemories of Robbie. Time certainly […]
On the one hand, it’s hard to fathom that a decade has slid by since Robbie left us. On the other, we feel every one of those days.His peers are now 30, many married, all well established in their careers. Life has gone on for them, as it should. We’re left with the “what ifs” […]
There’s a lot being written about Marvel’s cinematic universe turning ten this summer. It’s a cause for celebration, especially considering their track record, and creative accomplishments. For a number of reasons, we couldn’t see Avengers: Infinity War opening weekend (6:40 p.m. this Friday), and we’re very excited to see a cinematic experience.However, this week, and […]
Robbie entered the world thirty years ago this evening, around 11:30 at night. We were thrilled to have a son, feeling this completed the family. As with his sister, we had no idea what to expect. We obviously wanted him to thrive and be successful and we’d support him, but we weren’t going to fill […]
Nine years.For whatever reason, it hangs heavy this year. Not quite the decade milestone but certainly we’re feeling it more keenly than last year. Go figure.We’ve been down in Maryland four years now and increasingly our circle of friends are people who never knew him. I’m about to work at my second school and there, […]
I woke up this morning tired and somewhat sore from loading a moving truck yesterday. I worked through the usual Sunday morning routine and went upstairs to check in with the world. I saw a comment on Facebook and was slapped in the face.So much has been going on this week that I spaced on […]
Recently, my brother asked me what I thought Robbie would be doing these days.I would like to think that had he survived, he would have followed through on his plans to complete college and train to become a residential life specialist at a hospital.He had hoped to transfer to Hood College so our plans of […]
Katie and Robbie were always introducing us to new worlds. When it was recommended Kate be stimulated through participation in the Odyssey of the Mind competition, we entered that fascinating, challenging and enlightening competition for several years. Soon after, we got involved in the Fairfield Teen Theater program and then there was fencing. All good […]