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My mom and I moved to Duluth with my stepdad who she just married a few years ago. We all worked to clean up his debts and sell his previous property and they paid me to clean up everything, paint stuff, do yard work and landscaping, and just help around the house. They basically have both admitted they couldn't have the life they have now without me and they put me in their living will.
When we moved here, our relatives didn't really have much to do with us. We didn't spend a lot of time together over the years and while we have come together to eat once in a while and say hi, things didn't go so smoothly at first. A few other bad things happened like the loss of our dog, Ellie. Can't replace her.
On the feel good story part, though, my mom has re-introduced me to a somewhat (it's popular among foodies) famous restaurant called Gordy's in Cloquet, MN where she grew up, and my grandma and distant relatives lived until they died. Most of them are gone now, and my mom feels bad because they had to sell my grandma's old place. She feels like this was her home and it doesn't feel like home anymore, kinda how I feel when I go through Whitehall these days.
Anyway, she took me to Gordy's a few times and we would go down and eat on the opposite side of the river where they have camping, parking, and a boat access. We saw this homeless looking guy and she looks closer and goes, "hey, that's my cousin!" I didn't believe her and she didn't wanna say anything, but she said it was, so I got out and said hi to him. I brought him over to my mom and it really was her cousin. He had a really rough childhood and their relatives were all poor settlers from the old days going back. He didn't ever have much and we learned from him that his mom (my mom's aunt) passed away and he was really down. I guess he is there a lot but never sees any of our extended relatives and clearly isn't functioning too well on his own.
We have gone back every spring & summer now for 2 and a half years and without calling him have found him there, in his old beat up truck, reading a newspaper and sitting by the river. I can't help but think God had brought us into his life in a small way so that he wouldn't feel alone. He's not homeless, but he is lonely and spends his time down there alone. sad to think of someone who doesn't have great contact with his family and even lives close to them just spends his older days alone.
We have kind of re-kindled contact with him, though and got his number and we have seen him like 5 or 6 times in the same spot when we go eat. It's kind of our new ritual. Makes you wonder about people who are alone and aren't strong enough (or too strong) to ask for help. He even had some medical problems and didn't even tell his own sister that he was going through it. Just tough old boomers, man. Crazy to see family just wandering around too lol
Feels like the movie Scrooged or Groundhog Day, where he has to change his life by being there for the homeless guys. My lil brother died homeless, too, but there wasn't a lot I could do for him at the time. He was in a bit of a wild state and I feel like God took him home out of mercy. That's all for now, gonna try and be there for my older relatives before I get there
When we moved here, our relatives didn't really have much to do with us. We didn't spend a lot of time together over the years and while we have come together to eat once in a while and say hi, things didn't go so smoothly at first. A few other bad things happened like the loss of our dog, Ellie. Can't replace her.
On the feel good story part, though, my mom has re-introduced me to a somewhat (it's popular among foodies) famous restaurant called Gordy's in Cloquet, MN where she grew up, and my grandma and distant relatives lived until they died. Most of them are gone now, and my mom feels bad because they had to sell my grandma's old place. She feels like this was her home and it doesn't feel like home anymore, kinda how I feel when I go through Whitehall these days.
Anyway, she took me to Gordy's a few times and we would go down and eat on the opposite side of the river where they have camping, parking, and a boat access. We saw this homeless looking guy and she looks closer and goes, "hey, that's my cousin!" I didn't believe her and she didn't wanna say anything, but she said it was, so I got out and said hi to him. I brought him over to my mom and it really was her cousin. He had a really rough childhood and their relatives were all poor settlers from the old days going back. He didn't ever have much and we learned from him that his mom (my mom's aunt) passed away and he was really down. I guess he is there a lot but never sees any of our extended relatives and clearly isn't functioning too well on his own.
We have gone back every spring & summer now for 2 and a half years and without calling him have found him there, in his old beat up truck, reading a newspaper and sitting by the river. I can't help but think God had brought us into his life in a small way so that he wouldn't feel alone. He's not homeless, but he is lonely and spends his time down there alone.
sad to think of someone who doesn't have great contact with his family and even lives close to them just spends his older days alone.We have kind of re-kindled contact with him, though and got his number and we have seen him like 5 or 6 times in the same spot when we go eat. It's kind of our new ritual. Makes you wonder about people who are alone and aren't strong enough (or too strong) to ask for help. He even had some medical problems and didn't even tell his own sister that he was going through it. Just tough old boomers, man. Crazy to see family just wandering around too lol
Feels like the movie Scrooged or Groundhog Day, where he has to change his life by being there for the homeless guys. My lil brother died homeless, too, but there wasn't a lot I could do for him at the time. He was in a bit of a wild state and I feel like God took him home out of mercy. That's all for now, gonna try and be there for my older relatives before I get there
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Ya you will experience this quite a bit in life. I Still even feel weird living here. I don't know if any place will ever feel home to me anymore. I have realized that some of the memories I have had of places and people should just remain memories locked away. The people and places that you once cherished, might not be the same now. Seem like my entire life I am always chasing memories wanting to relive those good times. I have driven by your old place there in town. It's strange, I think back to memories there hanging with your brother, but no one else will remember them and they are just lost in time.
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