Monday, January 7, 2008

MM-Uncle Smiles

Marvelous Mondays gratefulness....es.....

*For the safety of my friends and family in this storm
*for the lifeline via this computer
* For my Uncles love in my childhood, and my children's childhood.
*For SLO Roasting Company, Morning Fog Lifter Coffee.. damn good!
*For an incredibly smart, loving, intuitive dog companion
*For a very strong foundation to carry me through the rough spots of life.
* For that Chumbawomba song... "I Get Knocked Down" (but I get up again, and your never gonna keep me down)


January 7th you guys, and it continues on. I really detest bummer blogs... but what you gonna do when crap keeps hitting the fan? I guess this one isn't so bad, just sad. A cold hard fact of life that brings mortality into the front of my mind. So is this the time (midlife) when I must begin to attend funerals of my older loved ones?) Its not so hard to take as a heart wrenching untimely death, but sad none the less.

My Uncle Smiles died last night, ending his battle with illness. He was a paratrooper in the Korean War and raised his family pretty close to us. They didn't call him Uncle Smiles for nothing either. Always happy with a Sammy Davis Jr kinda grin on his face, ai infectious laugh, and a twinkle for me in his eye.

As a child he adored me (or led me to believe that he did! lol) Whenever he saw me he would yell "what a beautiful girl he was looking at... I ran to his arms where he would lift me to his knee and begin the lifelong game of "Kiss me right here".(while pointing to various cheek/chin locations) A game which I carried through to my children, and now I will my grandchildren... and I better get Sarah going too:) He played the very same game with my daughter and it warmed my heart to see him yelling across a room just how beautiful THAT girl is. I wish that he would have been able to see Aviana and play "our" game too. I will miss you Uncle Smiles, and you live on in my family.
This is a recent photograph of my Mom and her beloved brother, taken last summer when Uncle Smiles had been hospitalized.

11 comments:

Anonymous said...

Gina, I'm so sorry that you lost your wonderful uncle. I know that he will live on in your heart. He sounds like a very memorable man.

Anonymous said...

Gina, so sorry about your uncle and all the other yucky stuff going on in your life. Sounds like things are really crazy with you right now. Just remember to BREATHE. Hugs...

Tina Chamberlain

Desert Threads said...

I am so sorry to hear about your uncle. Hugs go out to you. You know my number if you need to talk.

Carol said...

I am so sad to read that this special person has died. He left a wonderful legacy with you and your family to enjoy forever.

Anonymous said...

i'm so sorry that you've lost this special man. delight in your treasured memories and pass them on. kayp

Anonymous said...

Gina,

I'm really sorry to hear about your Uncle Smiles....I wish I had one like that to remember...but what a wonderful tradition you get to pass along you to Sarah!

Be well...

Karen A.

Mary Johnson said...

Gina, I'm sorry to hear of your Uncle's death. It sounds like things have been really tough lately - hang in there.

Deborah Levy said...

So sorry Gina for the loss of your beloved uncle. But it seems you are carrying on his love to your family and so he will always be with you.

Kepp a good thought...it's gonna get better.

The Sarah Bear said...

I am sorry my friend.. I am sooo glad that you got to see him in recent times... I know you have been worrying about him and now he and you can rest cause the Lord has him in his arms... or... maybe God is tricking Uncle Smiles into kisses on the chin, nope, the forehead, nope, the cheek, nope, this cheek...

Love you.

Anonymous said...

I am so sorry Gina, He must of been a wonderful man to have a nickname like that. How is Ma doing? I worry about her.

Lu, B

Lynn Douglass said...

Your uncle sounds like such a wonderful man. I'm sorry for your loss. I have an Uncle Bob who I feel the same way about. He also served in the Korean War as a paratrooper, and spent 30+ years in the military. Out of the blue, he phoned me last week. I feel for you, Gina. Hugs.

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