Carrying On

For my brother-in-law, Mike Stevens the last year has been one of major changes. My sister, Alena, who is Mike’s wife of what would have been 42 years this year. Mike has had a tough year. It’s hard to be the parent left behind after a loss, even when the children of the marriage are grown and on their own. Mike has had to try to be supportive of his children, while dealing with his own sense of immense loss. That was the position Mike found himself in, and through his grief, I can say he has handled it well. Mike knew how important all the family birthdays were to Alena, and they are to him too, but like many men, he had looked to Alena to keep track of the days, and then he would join her in wishing the happy birthday to the family member. After Alena went to Heaven, Mike contacted me to get a good list so he could continue to do so. He knew I would have that list because of my blog. I was so proud of him for making sure he could continue that tradition, and I know Alena would be proud of him too. It was such a sweet blessing to get that text from Mike on my birthday. He is carrying on the tradition started by Alena.

There are joyful events coming Mike’s way too. His son, Garrett and wife Kayla are expecting a new baby in July, and his daughter, Lacey and husband Chris Killinger are expecting a baby in August. I know Alena has met these grandbabies in Heaven already, but soon the rest of the family will get to meet them. I know Mike is very excited to see his family continuing to grow, but I’m sure he wishes he could share these joyous occasions with Alena. Mike has a close relationship with his kids, and they all work hard to maintain that closeness. They are very supportive of each other.

In early April, Callie, the half miniature Doberman and half Long-Haired Chihuahua dog Mike and Alena had owned for 13 years passed away. It was hard that it was shortly before the one-year anniversary of Alena’s passing on April 23, 2025. After Callie was gone, Mike said the house felt really lonely, and since he had been around my sister’ Caryl Reed and her husband, Mike’s West Highland White Terrier, he decided to get one for himself. In early May, he got a male Westie, and names him Festus. I guess you can see that Mike is a “Gunsmoke” fan. While he still misses Callie, Mike and Festus are getting along very well. Westies are a small dog, so they make for a great lap dog when Mike is watching television or just relaxing in the evening. I’m glad he has a new companion in the house and Festus is a sweet little companion too. It’s a good thing for Mike. Today is Mike’s birthday. Happy birthday Mike!! Have a great day!! We love you!!