I lost a son, but am gaining a husband, and because of that, I lost track of some September milestones I wanted to write about.

First, let me explain.

My son, John, bought a house and moved to the Charlotte, N.C., area in September. The trips down south for the walkthrough, closing and move took most of the month. I was sad that he left, but am happy for him and proud of the life he has worked so hard to secure.

At the same time my husband, Bill, who had been talking about retiring for years set his retirement date, which is exactly six days from today. Since I manage the family finances, I had little time to research the implications before he turned in his papers. It's amazing all the things that need to be decided that will affect the rest of our lives. Until the papers were turned, in I ruminated over everything.

Anyway, baby Andrew Morrissey celebrated the one-year anniversary since his kidney/liver transplant in September. Born with autosomal recessive polycystic kidney disease and Carol's disease the now 2 1/2-year-old is doing well. He is monitored regularly by doctors here and those at Pittsburgh Children's Hospital where he received a kidney from his grandmother and part of his dad's liver.

There have been some ups and downs throughout the year, including medical scares that required hospitalizations and a huge mistake by the Social Security Administration that listed him as deceased causing delays in his financial assistance.

However, he is starting to eat some solid food, crawling and pulling himself up, taking steps while holding on, and says "mama" and "dada." The best news is that Andrew is going to be a big brother early next year. So far, all prenatal tests have shown that his baby sister is healthy and developing normally.

I also missed the sad anniversary of the death of Dennis Sullivan who was killed by a drunk driver five years ago while waiting at a red light at the intersection of Route 40 and St. John's Lane.

A third-generation Ellicott City resident, Dennis was 42 years old when he died, leaving behind his parents, Nelson Sr. and Joan Sullivan; siblings Deborah and Nelson Jr.; children Harley James and Sandra; and grandchildren, Samantha and Cameron.

Nelson Sr. has spent years getting the word out that drinking and driving can kill, speaking to police recruits and at Mothers Against Drunk Driver events.

Go to their Web site at www.madd.org/ to learn about their programs and see how you can help save lives and end future sorrow.

You can give seniors the gift of independence this holiday season by volunteering as a Neighbor Ride driver. Launched four years ago Neighbor Ride is a volunteer-based transportation service with the mission to decrease isolation and improve the quality of life for Howard County's older residents.

Its dedicated volunteers provide an average of five hundred trips per month for medical appointments, shopping, social outings, religious services, and other day-to-day needs.

Flexible scheduling opportunities are available where drivers can choose to provide rides that both fit their schedules and are convenient to their homes and daily routines.

If you are interested in volunteering there are volunteer orientation sessions scheduled for this month and next, call Rosemary Noble at 410-884-RIDE (7433) or e-mail volunteer@neighborride.org to find out more.

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