Another Loss

On May 5, my uncle Bob passed away. He was my last remaining uncle. He was also my favorite. I remember him as upbeat, personable and funny. Oh--and musical, too! He used to play drums. My mom (his sister) and my grandmother (Nana -- his mother) told me stories of his compulsion to "drum" on any surface, any time when he was growing up. Nana used to admonish him for occasionally breaking her dishes with this drumming habit! He was also a whistler. Residents of the small town of Bedford, PA (where he lived his entire life) always knew when Bob was in the vicinity: they'd hear him cheerfully whistling as he walked. When Bob was a little boy, he met a cute little girl named Kay. They were sweet on eachother, and Kay used to make Bob mud pies. They stayed sweet on eachother all through school. They got married after graduating. They were together until Bob's passing. I think that's wonderful, don't you? I know that Kay is struggling with this huge loss of her one and only true love. I and the rest of the family intend to do whatever we can to see her through all of this.

My mom always referred to Bob as her "baby brother." But Bob wasn't technically the youngest sibling. There was Johnny, who died as a toddler. Now, all the siblings have passed on. I take pleasure and comfort in knowing that my mom is reuinted with Bob and that he is reunited with all his brothers, sisters, and his mother whom he loved so much.