Advice from an ancestor

My Dad gave me a piece of advice that he had gotten from his Grandpa Poppe, "in tough times, stay busy. Get your work done. It will take your mind off things for a while." This advice that my great grandfather gave was surely something that he had had much practice using, as he had 17 children but lost four at a very young age. He also lost a brother at a young age. Those were tough times. I think this advice speaks toward the German heritage in the Poppe family. When tough times come your way, you keep moving. It doesn't mean that you avoid dealing with tough situations. But you don't let it break your spirit. You don't let it defeat you.

And so that is what Tracy and I did. We made that "to do" list on the 30th. We spent time with family. We spent time with friends. Tracy, her sister Laura, and her Mom made a visit to the Wilbur area to visit Tracy's friend Amy and her son, Grant. And they had a great time! Looking back on that week, I wouldn't have wanted to do it any other way.

I thank my Dad for sharing stories and advice that he had received from his own Dad, uncles and grandparents. It's pretty amazing to think about it, but shortly after Tracy was diagnosed, I was able to get some advice from my great grandfather, a man whom I never met.