Life.......

What exactly is life about? It's about childhood.. Growing up.. Loving the ones aroundya.. Memories of grandparents.. Apple pies.. Thanksgiving... Visits for no reason other than "I/we love you." It's cousins playing in the yard..

perhaps getting dropped off at the City Pool by the 24 mph driving grandfather who (tongue in cheek) cautions "don't get your feet wet."

At the end of the day, it's the child sitting at or nearby the table of visiting adults - taking in and sucking up every word said. Learning. Listening. Enjoying. Wondering.

It's drives down streets with gloriouos turn of the century houses lit up at Christmas time.. It's family. Blood.

As the years continue on - we plant the seed of our own families, lives, memories. We repeat the cycle. Our kids, cousins, gather. We go see our folks, now, their grandparents. The kids play in the yard - catch, baseball, hopscotch, touch football. By evening they're warn out - but they too hang around the adult table.. bright-eyed... gathering.. collecting thoughts, memories...

Soon, as all seeds eventually do, they're grown - and out and about on a life of their own. (Maynard, are u reading this!).. That's where I'm at in my life.

The seed hasn't seeded again - but I look forward to the day. I love the pitter patter of rugrats. Their enthusiasm, jubilation. Silliness. The way they approach life in the fast lane until their bods can no longer continue for the day.

Today we bury my uncle. I returned to this hometown of my parents with fond, fond memories. I sat entrenched at the slide show in the funeral home of his life. Filled with children. Filled with fun. Camping, catch, amusement parks, watching little kid's ballgames.. family gatherings.. pics of those long ago departed but never forgotten.

Dinner with my mother's first cousins, mid-80's, and stories of their day, his parents, and his grandparents (circa 1870's. I found myself back in 1961. Seated at that "Adult" table, engrossed. Gathering up the wisdom, hearing what it was like "Back in the day."

Eveyone is biased when it comes to their relatives. My uncle Glenn was an average Joe financially - who was rich in life. Kids. Grandkids. Greatgrandkids. Surrounded with/by, by choice, his entire life. "Ya know Kevin, I don't think I've ever seen Uncle Glenn mad."... Kevin grinned. "Well, there was that time at Myrtle Beach.. we were camping.. commotion in the next tent, pretty soon we figured out it was a guy beating the crap out of his wife.. Glenn (by then late 50's) ran to the tent, unzipped it, said "If you touch her one more time, I'm gonna beat the living daylights outta you." Hehe.

Good. He was for good. Not hurt, never ever. If there's ever an end that's good, this is the closest I've seen. Even though he was able to live a fun, long life - it's never long enough.

In the end, we're left with memories. We have nothing but the days ahead to formulate exactly what we'll look back upon. Today I'm the kid at the adult table. I wanna be just like 'em. Have fun with your seeds, their seeds. It's all about choice eh? Love, Victurd