Regarding a Fine Gentleman

Regarding a fine gentleman

I just returned home from a sad but necessary event which was memorial services for my Uncle George who died a week ago.

He had  been diagnosed with untreatable cancer earlier this year.

It was just a week before he died that I drove to visit him and my aunt Rita. At that time,  My senior cousin Jack rode along with me and it was a great trip overall considering the purpose.

At George’s memorial yesterday I spoke briefly to the  audience about my first recollection of George and my recent visit with Him. Generally I am quite glib , but it emotion made it difficult to speak as I wanted.

When I was preparing for the travel to see him two weeks ago, I thought about what was my earliest recollection of George.

When I last visited with George I told him this story

“I pondered , what was my first memory of You?

When I was very young I was excited to have my first stay-over at someone else’s home, and guess who it was?  Your house!.

(George and Rita had a daughter  a couple years older than me and a son who was close to the same age as me.)

 After a busy day it was time for sleep, but not for me. Your home was on the side of a hill that overlooked the local airport. At night the beacon light of the airport shined continually onto the widows of the bedrooms, red then green then red again, all night long.

Although You were all asleep, I was not because I disliked the lightshow.

Cousin Tony was sleeping soundly as I walked out of the room to go into your bedroom. You and Rita were both sleeping soundly.

I pushed on your arm until you awakened and asked me what I wanted.

I told you that I did not like that red and green light shining in the window and that I wanted to go back to my home.

You got up, dressed and kindly drove me back to my house with no complaints. It was then, I knew that You were a good man and you have been a good uncle to me my whole life”

At that point both George and I had both had happy tears and a man-hug ensued.

George then told me that the airport beacon light was changed in 1956 and did not shine in their windows after that time, so I could not have been older than three years old at that time.

Only George would know such detail information.

For my entire life George was a positive male role model in my life and was always a good uncle to me. He was artistic and creative, highly organized and thoughtful.

I never saw him lose his temper! He was a history enthusiast and kept a great curiosity about how things worked, especially how nature worked.

Please visit the website which my Remarkable Uncle George created and share my Uncle’s view of the world

http://yankee-nevadan.weebly.com

I will miss him very much and know impermanence is one of the facts of our existence.

Seeing my family and my cousins who all seemed to have aged more than me (until I looked in the mirror) reminded me again of how life is precious and limited.

So, please take time to be aware and engaged in your life. Choose to enjoy every day as it comes. Chose wellness no matter what your health issues, do not define yourself through pain and suffering, but rather by creating happiness for yourself and the people in your sphere of influence.

Enjoy the now, for it is all that we have.

Sam Wise MD