~~ My Uncle ~~
I can't write a biography for my uncle Jimmy yet. His passing is too recent. Everyone in our family is still reeling from the loss of him. But I wanted to share something about him, so people could know how I remember him.
My Uncle Jimmy was only 45 years old when he passed away. He was my mom's only brother and just two years older than me. I grew up with him and those memories of our childhood are flooding my thoughts now. One minute, he would be terrorizing me by threatening to "kill" my favorite doll and the next minute, he would be protecting me from my cousin, Robert, who was picking on me. One time when I was about 3 or 4 we were playing and I stepped on a thumbtack. I started crying and couldn't walk. Even though he was only 5 or 6 years old, he did his best to pick me up and carry me to the grown ups so they could take care of me.
One of the "grandkids" favorite things to do when we were together at grandma's was to climb up on the propane tank and pretend we were riding a horse. Jimmy and I would help all the other kids up and then he would give me a heave-ho to get up there and then he would hold my hand while jumping to get up. Then we would all start in with, "Giddy up," and if someone fell, "Whoa, boy!" And, if someone fell, me and Jimmy would jump down and try to get them to stop crying so we wouldn't get in trouble for being up there in the first place!
When my aunt Sarah was born, Jimmy had been chewing bubble gum and it popped on his face. This was back in the old days when gum didn't just pull off. Anyway, after playing outside all day with that gum on his face, he was pretty dirty and my Aunt Janie could not get his face clean to go to the hospital to see Grandma and Sarah. Finally she got the idea she would shave it off. Jimmy didn't like the idea of having his face scrubbed, but seemed to enjoy getting to "shave".
After his first daughter was born, he came to visit and show her off. My oldest son was just a baby then too and we had a good time visiting and bragging about our kids. The love he had for his baby girl was obvious, even without him saying a word. As I watched him hold her and dote over her, I thought, "Wow, Uncle Jimmy has grown up. I can't believe he has a baby." I couldn't believe I had one either!
When grandma died, he sat behind me during the visitation and I heard him say, "Look at all the flowers. Mamma would just cry if she could see all the flowers people sent for her." And he was right, she would have. As much as it hurt me to lose my grandma, I knew it hurt him more because he had lost his mother. I couldn't imagine living without my mom and he was only two years older than me, so it hurt me to know he didn't have his mom anymore.
My Uncle Jimmy wasn't perfect. He made some mistakes, but we all do. Anyone who knew him knew how much he loved his family, especially his daughters. Though it has been a while since I last saw him, it didn't mean I didn't love him and it doesn't mean I won't miss him.
Rest in peace, Uncle Jimmy. You will never be forgotten.
I can't write a biography for my uncle Jimmy yet. His passing is too recent. Everyone in our family is still reeling from the loss of him. But I wanted to share something about him, so people could know how I remember him.
My Uncle Jimmy was only 45 years old when he passed away. He was my mom's only brother and just two years older than me. I grew up with him and those memories of our childhood are flooding my thoughts now. One minute, he would be terrorizing me by threatening to "kill" my favorite doll and the next minute, he would be protecting me from my cousin, Robert, who was picking on me. One time when I was about 3 or 4 we were playing and I stepped on a thumbtack. I started crying and couldn't walk. Even though he was only 5 or 6 years old, he did his best to pick me up and carry me to the grown ups so they could take care of me.
One of the "grandkids" favorite things to do when we were together at grandma's was to climb up on the propane tank and pretend we were riding a horse. Jimmy and I would help all the other kids up and then he would give me a heave-ho to get up there and then he would hold my hand while jumping to get up. Then we would all start in with, "Giddy up," and if someone fell, "Whoa, boy!" And, if someone fell, me and Jimmy would jump down and try to get them to stop crying so we wouldn't get in trouble for being up there in the first place!
When my aunt Sarah was born, Jimmy had been chewing bubble gum and it popped on his face. This was back in the old days when gum didn't just pull off. Anyway, after playing outside all day with that gum on his face, he was pretty dirty and my Aunt Janie could not get his face clean to go to the hospital to see Grandma and Sarah. Finally she got the idea she would shave it off. Jimmy didn't like the idea of having his face scrubbed, but seemed to enjoy getting to "shave".
After his first daughter was born, he came to visit and show her off. My oldest son was just a baby then too and we had a good time visiting and bragging about our kids. The love he had for his baby girl was obvious, even without him saying a word. As I watched him hold her and dote over her, I thought, "Wow, Uncle Jimmy has grown up. I can't believe he has a baby." I couldn't believe I had one either!
When grandma died, he sat behind me during the visitation and I heard him say, "Look at all the flowers. Mamma would just cry if she could see all the flowers people sent for her." And he was right, she would have. As much as it hurt me to lose my grandma, I knew it hurt him more because he had lost his mother. I couldn't imagine living without my mom and he was only two years older than me, so it hurt me to know he didn't have his mom anymore.
My Uncle Jimmy wasn't perfect. He made some mistakes, but we all do. Anyone who knew him knew how much he loved his family, especially his daughters. Though it has been a while since I last saw him, it didn't mean I didn't love him and it doesn't mean I won't miss him.
Rest in peace, Uncle Jimmy. You will never be forgotten.
~~ My Uncle ~~
I can't write a biography for my uncle Jimmy yet. His passing is too recent. Everyone in our family is still reeling from the loss of him. But I wanted to share something about him, so people could know how I remember him.
My Uncle Jimmy was only 45 years old when he passed away. He was my mom's only brother and just two years older than me. I grew up with him and those memories of our childhood are flooding my thoughts now. One minute, he would be terrorizing me by threatening to "kill" my favorite doll and the next minute, he would be protecting me from my cousin, Robert, who was picking on me. One time when I was about 3 or 4 we were playing and I stepped on a thumbtack. I started crying and couldn't walk. Even though he was only 5 or 6 years old, he did his best to pick me up and carry me to the grown ups so they could take care of me.
One of the "grandkids" favorite things to do when we were together at grandma's was to climb up on the propane tank and pretend we were riding a horse. Jimmy and I would help all the other kids up and then he would give me a heave-ho to get up there and then he would hold my hand while jumping to get up. Then we would all start in with, "Giddy up," and if someone fell, "Whoa, boy!" And, if someone fell, me and Jimmy would jump down and try to get them to stop crying so we wouldn't get in trouble for being up there in the first place!
When my aunt Sarah was born, Jimmy had been chewing bubble gum and it popped on his face. This was back in the old days when gum didn't just pull off. Anyway, after playing outside all day with that gum on his face, he was pretty dirty and my Aunt Janie could not get his face clean to go to the hospital to see Grandma and Sarah. Finally she got the idea she would shave it off. Jimmy didn't like the idea of having his face scrubbed, but seemed to enjoy getting to "shave".
After his first daughter was born, he came to visit and show her off. My oldest son was just a baby then too and we had a good time visiting and bragging about our kids. The love he had for his baby girl was obvious, even without him saying a word. As I watched him hold her and dote over her, I thought, "Wow, Uncle Jimmy has grown up. I can't believe he has a baby." I couldn't believe I had one either!
When grandma died, he sat behind me during the visitation and I heard him say, "Look at all the flowers. Mamma would just cry if she could see all the flowers people sent for her." And he was right, she would have. As much as it hurt me to lose my grandma, I knew it hurt him more because he had lost his mother. I couldn't imagine living without my mom and he was only two years older than me, so it hurt me to know he didn't have his mom anymore.
My Uncle Jimmy wasn't perfect. He made some mistakes, but we all do. Anyone who knew him knew how much he loved his family, especially his daughters. Though it has been a while since I last saw him, it didn't mean I didn't love him and it doesn't mean I won't miss him.
Rest in peace, Uncle Jimmy. You will never be forgotten.
I can't write a biography for my uncle Jimmy yet. His passing is too recent. Everyone in our family is still reeling from the loss of him. But I wanted to share something about him, so people could know how I remember him.
My Uncle Jimmy was only 45 years old when he passed away. He was my mom's only brother and just two years older than me. I grew up with him and those memories of our childhood are flooding my thoughts now. One minute, he would be terrorizing me by threatening to "kill" my favorite doll and the next minute, he would be protecting me from my cousin, Robert, who was picking on me. One time when I was about 3 or 4 we were playing and I stepped on a thumbtack. I started crying and couldn't walk. Even though he was only 5 or 6 years old, he did his best to pick me up and carry me to the grown ups so they could take care of me.
One of the "grandkids" favorite things to do when we were together at grandma's was to climb up on the propane tank and pretend we were riding a horse. Jimmy and I would help all the other kids up and then he would give me a heave-ho to get up there and then he would hold my hand while jumping to get up. Then we would all start in with, "Giddy up," and if someone fell, "Whoa, boy!" And, if someone fell, me and Jimmy would jump down and try to get them to stop crying so we wouldn't get in trouble for being up there in the first place!
When my aunt Sarah was born, Jimmy had been chewing bubble gum and it popped on his face. This was back in the old days when gum didn't just pull off. Anyway, after playing outside all day with that gum on his face, he was pretty dirty and my Aunt Janie could not get his face clean to go to the hospital to see Grandma and Sarah. Finally she got the idea she would shave it off. Jimmy didn't like the idea of having his face scrubbed, but seemed to enjoy getting to "shave".
After his first daughter was born, he came to visit and show her off. My oldest son was just a baby then too and we had a good time visiting and bragging about our kids. The love he had for his baby girl was obvious, even without him saying a word. As I watched him hold her and dote over her, I thought, "Wow, Uncle Jimmy has grown up. I can't believe he has a baby." I couldn't believe I had one either!
When grandma died, he sat behind me during the visitation and I heard him say, "Look at all the flowers. Mamma would just cry if she could see all the flowers people sent for her." And he was right, she would have. As much as it hurt me to lose my grandma, I knew it hurt him more because he had lost his mother. I couldn't imagine living without my mom and he was only two years older than me, so it hurt me to know he didn't have his mom anymore.
My Uncle Jimmy wasn't perfect. He made some mistakes, but we all do. Anyone who knew him knew how much he loved his family, especially his daughters. Though it has been a while since I last saw him, it didn't mean I didn't love him and it doesn't mean I won't miss him.
Rest in peace, Uncle Jimmy. You will never be forgotten.
