Tuesday, July 26, 2005
Maudlin Day
Right in the middle of hell week I want to pause to remember my father-in-law who died on this day last year. He missed meeting his new granddaughter by two months. He spent a full day in his garden, went to a Lion's Club meeting, came home and watched baseball on the tube with his son. Around 11:00 p.m. he let out a gasp and he was gone. Just like that. It was a shock.

Jack was an extraordinary man, truly a pillar of the community. God-fearing, civic minded, he was a business owner who was known far and wide as a character. He was one of those people who gave EVERYBODY hell and made them laugh while doing it. People would recount things he had said to them and your jaw would drop, but they were laughing as they recounted it. I don't know that we'll ever be able to convey to Emma what he was truly like.

I miss him. He was a large presence. We've all moved on as we're expected to do, but nothing is the same.