Uncle Dave died this morning. I will always hold him in my heart as a vibrant, somewhat ornery, disciplined, fun, rational person, whom it was an honour to know and a deeper honour to be family with. I see him sitting on the back deck at the Augur Inn, back on 2nd St, laughing and talking and eating and smoking his pipe after a hard day arguing with the walls, or the flooring, or mudding, mudding, mudding. Remember the time he and Paul tried to set fire to the house? … yeah, it’s funny now. I’d be in the kitchen, listening to him and Paul laughing uproariously, and thinking how very happy I was. That’s the image I will hold. So many anecdotes, about his travels, his time with the Princess Pats, his time on the boat in Australia.
I light a candle for Alyssa and D. and the girls, Paige and Chloe. I am thankful beyond words that he died at home with his loved ones around him and I so feel for Alyssa, who took herself to the end of her strength to perform this last office of love. I didn’t cry on the phone with mOm this morning, but I’m sure as hell crying now.
I had breakfast over at Paul and Keith’s so I was there when Jeff called me, and now Paul and Keith know too. I just called Katie. It’s not like the world is so full of good human beings that we can suffer the loss of one without impact……
