“The unsung beauty hid life’s common things below”-Whittier
*I wrote this the week my Uncle Jerry passed, November 1st, to help me process my grief, but I did not feel ready to post it until now.
My Uncle Jerry passed away earlier this week. He was the eldest-the first of my Mama’s eight siblings. The first born, the first to pass. He was tall. With blue eyes that reminded you of the summer sky. And he looked just like Granddaddy. He was calm-my Aunt Shirley says he balanced her. That she would get worked up about situations and he would remain steady. They got married Easter Sunday 1960-together for almost 60 years of their lives. He was generous. He was kind. He loved books-science fiction in particular. He loved his babies, his grandbabies, and his great-grandbabies. And we loved him.
Death isn’t always a foe. For my Uncle, death was a kind friend releasing him from the pain that he had suffered in for the last months. He was at peace with himself and the world. Death held nothing he feared.
The ones who dreaded death’s approach were us-his family. Each step that brought death closer to Uncle Jerry was one that took him further from us. He would pass and we would remain-our lives infinitely poorer without his presence. That was the source of our pain. That is what our tears are for now. We miss him.
I asked my family to share stories about him, Memories that were precious to them and I am sharing them here so you can see what he meant to us.
My own memories of him…
My Uncle’s Sucess
