Aug 03 2007
Tribute
Some things deserve special mention.
I told y’all before that I wasn’t going to make special mention of specific occasions in the lives of my friends and family. I promised I wouldn’t clutter my blog with post after post of well wished for birthdays, anniversaries and the like. I said I would consolidate those all into one monthly post. However, for this date, I have decide to call an execute exemption to that rule.
Today is August 3rd. This would have been Uncle Pat’s birthday. He passed away from Huntington’s disease a couple of years ago. I don’t know how old he would have been, but it’s somewhere in his mid sixties. He was around my father’s age. His son, my cousin Bill Rose, who is my age, also has the disease. He is in an advanced stage and at 40 years of age, he is already living in a special care facility. The disease has exhibited unusual cruelty and grasped his life, choking it far earlier than it usually does.
This post is not intended to wish my late uncle a happy birthday. It is intended as a tribute to my mother’s siblings who have passed away, my cousin Bill who is suffering from this disease today, and any of my other cousins who may not yet know they have the disease.
Several years ago, when Bill first started experiencing his symptoms, he expressed himself quite creatively through verse. For him, and in tribute to my fallen family members, here are his words:
Middle of Nowhere |
| by Bill Rose |
These melancholy filled tearsencase all my animosities and fears.As that final defining sunsetis descending my way,will that last smidgen of sand from life’s hourglasslet me see another forsaken day?Will I ever see the sunabsorb the morning sky,or be enchanted by the sleepy morning dewas I lay my faith into destiny’s sweet hands?As the winds of change storm mercilesslythrough my life and into the epitome of my soul,I’m in the middle of nowherewith no place to hide.As the angel of death descends upon me,do I have to go for the ride? |
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August 4th, 2007 at 3:35 pm
Really beautiful tribute. It is hard to watch family suffer.
August 6th, 2007 at 8:25 am
Thanks for a nice tribute. Dad was 61 when he passed away. It was a few weeks before his 62nd.
August 9th, 2007 at 9:04 pm
Hey Steve;
Pretty classy tribute. We all miss him very much.
August 11th, 2007 at 4:09 pm
Well, you know… it is easy to get mixed up in the scratching and clawing of everyday life; the little things can upset you. But when you have this as a benchmark to put things into perspective, you quickly remember how lucky you are.
August 12th, 2007 at 11:28 am
Steve… once again -> hats off bro!!
Uncle Pat is deeply missed and lovingly remembered.
Bill’s words are heartbreaking…
Love you. xo
August 13th, 2007 at 2:44 pm
Okay, this one brought tears to my eyes.