Decoration Day.....

This might bore you... I'm selfishly borrowing my blog today...

Grandmother... to heaven July 1976... Grandma - you were the perfect grandmother.. You taught me all about equality.. you modeled morality... your love never went unappreciated or unnoticed... I graduated from college in May of 1976.. Proudly, you now lay in the dress you wore on that day... I miss you, and think of you often....

Grandfather... to heaven January, 1977... your death, six months after the death of your spouse - personifies the love you two shared... you did it right sir... all those years at the same employ... all those years happily married to the same woman... I don't believe I ever heard a complaint out of your mouth.. I miss you, and think of you often...

Mother... to heaven June, 1987... unconditional love.. the greatest gift I've ever had... counselor, cook, chauffeur, nurse, cheerleader, linguist, faithful wife, much, much more... undaunted by your massive stroke nine years earlier - you chose to live life out happy, and you did... my only hope is that you know the love you gave was returned equally by all of us.. many a day, many a night I want to talk to you, see you, be with you - if nothing more than to simply say "thanks." I miss you and there's not a day gone by I don't visualize you...

Sister... to heaven February, 1999... while the stay was short - you packed it in kiddo.. if I live to be 90, there's no way I could give as much as you gave... you were the cog to our family... sincerely loved by all.. witty, beautiful, unconditional love, lover of little ones, missed - so very badly... selfishly, I miss your advice - but moreso, I miss your fervor for life and all that's in it... not a day goes by I don't think of you - and I realize how lucky I was to have you as a sister...

Father... to heaven November, 2003... again, the most amazing thing I take from you is that whenever your name comes up in conversation - an immediate smile emotes from all those conversing... you taught me not to discriminate... you taught me that upon occasion - bad things happen - to address them - and to move on... when mom had her stroke in 1978 - you gave up your occupational career to stay home and care for her the final nine years of her life... wow, was that an example of how to do it.. you did the same the final year of your daughter's life... and later, fended for your companion for a year as she recouped from cancer... amazing.. you taught me not to get too excited.. to enjoy the little things... and to break things down to their simplest form... I'd call you every day your reasoning and advice if I could.. not a day goes by I don't think of you...

Many, many others... among them Cliff, Nelda, Roger, Edward H, Earl, Pernie, Walter, Ethyl, Buddy, Richard, ..... I'm not good with plastic flowers... I don't travel to decorate as faithfully as I should.. All please know how important you were/are to me... God Bless, Victor