It's actually Tuesday. Yesterday, I went to a funeral. Harry passed away. I did not know Harry well, yet he still had a significant place in my life.
My husband is an only child of older (mid 40s) parents. During the holidays we spend Thanksgiving with his family and Christmas with mine. Our Thanksgiving dinners consist of a mishmash of related and unrelated people. This group can number anywhere between 8 and 14.
Our relation to the group is through my husband's only living cousin on his mom's side. Also sitting at the table is the cousin's wife, (usually)both daughters, and the wife's side of the family. This is where Harry comes in. Harry is the cousin's wife's sister's husband. Got it?
Every Thanksgiving we can count on seeing the core group with an occasional extra. Although this is the only time of the year we see these people, there is still a connection. I try to touch base, evenly if briefly, with each person at the table. I may not get to visit with everyone, but it mattered that they were there.
Harry didn't make it to our Thanksgiving celebration last November. He wasn't feeling well. On January, 24 Harry passed away.
At the funeral I realized how little I knew about Harry. He spent 20 years in the army, served in WWII and the Korean conflict. Worked a variety jobs, owned and operated more than one business and lost a son in the Vietnam War.
My memories of Harry will include his soft voice, kind words and generous spirit.
Goodbye Harry. I will miss you at the Thanksgiving table.
Hello, I decided to follow your blog after you left a comment on mine.
ReplyDeleteI'm looking forward to getting to know you thru your blog. It should be interesting to see you become more free in your writing.
I write my blog as if I'm talking to someone. But sometime I have to go back and fix the grammar a bit. Commas are always a mystery to me!
You bout gave me a heart atttack with the title there cuz -- thought maybe you knew something about my sweet loving Harry the cat that I didn't! Even Carter gets Harry. When you ask him what a kitty says he meows all sweet and nice, but if you ask what HARRY says, he growls like a tiger!
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