LOOKING BACK (to my Brother Roy)

LOOKING BACK (to my Brother Roy)

See today would have been my brother’s  80^th birthday.. 

Knowing him, he would have had it full of laughter.  He and his buddies would be downtown Jamestown, R.I.  (even tho he moved to Portsmouth in his later life, when he inherited our folks farm)

Having coffee and laughing up the place.. then His kids would have had a Hell of a party.  And by now a great granddaughter running around..  to the gee of Grandpa’s antics.. .. 

But sadly God had other plans

10 1/2 years ago, God decided he needed Roy more than his friends and family did. Just 6 months before his 70^th birthday.

In 2011, I bought a birthday card that you will see here. And he decided to send it back to me on my  birthday and said we should just sent it back and forth to each other.. just adding a few words..   And we did.. as you can see…  but in 2014… after my birthday,  he passed..  so he had the last word. I take it out every year on his birthday and then in April to read what we wrote.   I use to tell him each year in our phone calls, what to look forward to when he arrived at each 5 years..  and I had a doozy ready for his 70^th.. of all the good things that happen in your 70 and not to fear it but embrace it..and passed on my questionable words of wisdom, of things he would face that year.  But I  never got to write it. Looking back, maybe when I got it out, I should have added to it.  See I am 4 years older than he.

See, Roy, as you would have turn 80 this year.. all the good times of 70 .. well, they are gone and you had fun, right?.  WELL, 80 is starting of the pits.  That is when the legs let you know you can’t walk a mile anymore..  that walking around the grocery store can be marathon.  And aches, pains, you blew off before.. well, they nag the hell out of you… letting you know you are not macho man anymore.. But the sense of humor gets even more sharper.. And YOU can rass the heck out of the younger generation..  And teach your great grandkid all kinds of stuff..    But guess you are going to have to sit up there in heaven and watch..  but at least you aren’t lonely anymore.. with your wife joining you,   with Mom and Dad there too. 

God Bless…. Kid..  happy 80th