Passing Impressions
Ah.... This is so sad.
Almost all of the twelve are here, and everyone floating in and out of my uncle's house for the majority of all hours. When I got there late Sunday night, the whole street in front of his house was a parking lot, the house almost over capacity. Lots of eating, laughing, singing, and all of it punctuated by crying. My Tio and Titi seem to be holding up all right (I even saw him smile when he was playing the guitar), though my dad tells me it was bad the first few days, and my cousins are on and off with strength and tears. Jon's Facebook apparently exploded the day of the accident -- first with well wishes, then with sympathies and remembrances. Pictures and memories of this cousin I grew up with, all over the place, and we haven't even seen the body yet.
This is hitting me so deep. They say his leg was severed in two; that he died once and came back to life at the scene only to die again after being medivaced to the hospital. Vicky tells the story of how her father was doing yard work the Saturday before the accident, and they were talking about Jon, when suddenly my uncle stops, looks at her and says "You know what's sad? That it takes a death to bring the family together," and goes back to yard work. Four days later, his youngest son is dead, and the whole family gathers to mourn. All the cousins are talking about starting up a bi-annual family reunion, because we noticed it, too.
I can't believe I'll never see his big teddy bear grin again. And people keep pointing out how much he and one of my brothers look alike, a truth I've never noticed until now. Dear heaven. I don't know how Vicki is holding up.
First viewing and memorial service starts tomorrow. I have to see if I can find a yellow "dirty towel" in his honor, because he loved the Steelers, and we'll be waving them when his older brother Luis speaks. The really hard stuff is yet to come.
Thanks to everyone who posted sympathies for me and my family. I've been so busy and distracted I haven't had time to reply, but I appreciate them.
Titi Miriam cries from the womb. It's so sad.
Almost all of the twelve are here, and everyone floating in and out of my uncle's house for the majority of all hours. When I got there late Sunday night, the whole street in front of his house was a parking lot, the house almost over capacity. Lots of eating, laughing, singing, and all of it punctuated by crying. My Tio and Titi seem to be holding up all right (I even saw him smile when he was playing the guitar), though my dad tells me it was bad the first few days, and my cousins are on and off with strength and tears. Jon's Facebook apparently exploded the day of the accident -- first with well wishes, then with sympathies and remembrances. Pictures and memories of this cousin I grew up with, all over the place, and we haven't even seen the body yet.
This is hitting me so deep. They say his leg was severed in two; that he died once and came back to life at the scene only to die again after being medivaced to the hospital. Vicky tells the story of how her father was doing yard work the Saturday before the accident, and they were talking about Jon, when suddenly my uncle stops, looks at her and says "You know what's sad? That it takes a death to bring the family together," and goes back to yard work. Four days later, his youngest son is dead, and the whole family gathers to mourn. All the cousins are talking about starting up a bi-annual family reunion, because we noticed it, too.
I can't believe I'll never see his big teddy bear grin again. And people keep pointing out how much he and one of my brothers look alike, a truth I've never noticed until now. Dear heaven. I don't know how Vicki is holding up.
First viewing and memorial service starts tomorrow. I have to see if I can find a yellow "dirty towel" in his honor, because he loved the Steelers, and we'll be waving them when his older brother Luis speaks. The really hard stuff is yet to come.
Thanks to everyone who posted sympathies for me and my family. I've been so busy and distracted I haven't had time to reply, but I appreciate them.
Titi Miriam cries from the womb. It's so sad.