For the past 7 years, October 10 has been a tough day. I miss my brother Jimmy--he called pretty much every day and I saw him two or three times a week. He read the entire newspaper every day, so he usually had a story or remark about something we had in common or something he knew I would be interested in: Boston, the Beatles, Gata, UH, going to see Grand Funk if they ever came to Houston, etc. And what a personality! He filled up the room, wherever he was. He was always so open to the possibility of the future. As so often the case with us, I was usually the gloom and doom character in the script, he was always working on the "sure, things could be better, but living now sure beats the alternative" and the best thing was to keep a positive outlook. Funny how you think things will always be the same and all your family will always be there. It wasn't till after that awful bright, sunny, hot day when he was gone all of the sudden, so unexpectedly, that I realized how much he meant to me, my self-esteem, how much he loved and respected me. We spend so much time being self-absorbed, missing out on what's right next to us.
One of Butch Walker's songs reminded me of Jimmy the other day: I passed your place, there was no car, I thought of you.
Of course, Jimmy wouldn't want me to be sad. He wouldn't mind me thinking of him, some of the memorable events we shared, the good and the weird, ups and downs, but he would much prefer to be thought of in the words of one of his favorites, Rod Stewart: Forever young.
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| Always the sharp dressed man |
So, let's drink one, or more, in his memory today. He didn't know the expression carpe diem, but he certainly lived that way. I'm so glad he did. Love you, brother!
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