I actually should be suffering from PTSD after this year. If you took all the negatives and added them up I’m sure I would qualify for some kind of counseling under my State Health Insurance.
January 2024 started out just like the past 12 years, with everyone getting ready to go back into session at the Statehouse but with the anticipation of knowing it was an election year. An election year for the President to every South Carolina House member to every State senator.
They say if you have a series of stressful life events in a year you should take a break, relax and breathe. Unfortunately that is not in the Frye DNA. Here are a few of what they say are “stressful events;”
- Serious illness of a loved one
- Change in living environment
- Change in job
- Death of a loved one
- This one isn’t on the list but finding out people will lie no matter what it takes or who it hurts to get what they want
My husband has been suffering from Alzheimer’s for 10 years and this year we had to make a decision to move him into a memory care facility. People also criticize you for making decisions that you struggle with already. This has also affected my living environment. Although Jimmy wasn’t going to save me if the monsters broke in, he was noise in the room. He has been that noise in the room and the man I loved for 35 years so it isn’t easy.
Talk about changing jobs, boy! I worked hard to keep that $10,400 a year Senate seat. I knocked on doors, I made phone calls but the best thing I did was do my job for 12 years. I honestly made life better for women, children, families, veterans, the disabled and the elderly and I have no regrets. I also in hindsight have no disappointment over the change in jobs. I do worry about the women, children, disabled and elderly and who will take care of them but that will be left up to you to call them out. The guys will take care of the veterans I hope, it looks good on their re-election brochures.
I have talked to some of the new legislators who are ready to work on children’s issues, so I pray they are good to their word. My new work is hopefully going to make a difference in lives of all of us. Working with brain health is something that touches us all in some way. We all know or are related to someone with Alzheimer’s, dementia, epilepsy, autism or other brain related diseases. This is a path I look forward to walking.
I lost two brothers-in-law this year. Jimmy’s brother passed away in July and my sister’s husband succumbed to cancer a few weeks ago. I lost a great friend from the Senate also in a tragic situation. So death really does affect you.
I will always wonder about the people who thought it was okay to lie about me but they have to live with that, I just have to live with the thought that some people actually believed them.
I would say 2024 wasn’t as bad as it looks, but it wasn’t great. I will turn 70 on Christmas Day and all-in-all I’ve had a very good life. I have a family who loves me and I love helping others and there are still a lot of people left to help. I will continue to take care of Jimmy, the dogs, the donkeys and the farm as long as I can.
I’m looking forward to what 2025 has to hold for me.
WHILE I BREATHE 