MY younger brother DAVID has been gone 22 years now. It seems even longer to me than that. It seems like only yesterday that I was living in Ca. and had not been back to Michigan in 7 years. Jobs and money always got in the way of coming back to visit. Life happens you get busy and you lose track of what is important. On that April morning I heard a knock on my door, it was very early in the morning. I thought that it was odd so early in the day to be awakened. It was my aunt..she had come to deliver the bad news, that my brother had died in a car accident. It was a shock to my soul. I could hardly stand up. I sat on the couch and my body shook all over. I had known he was kinda unhappy in his life and wanted to change things. He never had the chance to do that. The next day I was in Michigan with the help of some relatives, I managed to catch a plane home. The whole thing was a blur to me. I remember seeing my aunt and uncle talking about something that was in the morning paper that day. It was a normal day for them but not for me. Simple things like packing a bag and calling my boss and arranging a ride to the airport seemed like monumental tasks. Everything was moving in what seemed like slow motion. The plane ride was smooth and uneventful I hardly knew when it was time to get off. My mind raced with thoughts of the past and growing up together. Time had flown by. I was jarred back from my memories when the wheels hit the landing strip.
It was cold, colder than Ca. for sure. It was April in Michigan..that can be pretty cool to a person who the day before was in 75 degree weather. Such a shock to my system, to be so upset and see everyone around me the same way. When life gets taken so quickly a person just does go into shock I guess. I wore a heavy coat to the cemetery. The service was packed with people from all over who knew my parents or knew my brother. It was standing room only during the service and the director told my folks he had never seen such a crowd. It was then I knew that my brother had made an impact on people of all ages. He was likeable and left quite an impression on people. I was so sad that I had to catch up on his life like this..why had it taken me so long to get to know him better? He didn’t like to talk on the phone much and so we never chatted about this or that . I remembered the last time I saw him in the airport in Detroit when I had come home for a visit. I had the most awful feeling when I left that day inside me. Something I could not put into words or feelings. I cried on the plane going home, something I had never done before in my life after visiting home. I wonder now if I really deep down knew I would never see him again. I have had some ” vibes” in my life, but none like I had that day.
David at 7 years old.I learned through my brother’s passing, that I should really keep my family and friends as close as I can. I always try to do that now..no matter how busy I get or what else is going on. I think I have become a better person for that knowledge.
David at 7 years old.I learned through my brother’s passing, that I should really keep my family and friends as close as I can. I always try to do that now..no matter how busy I get or what else is going on. I think I have become a better person for that knowledge.
I therefore pass that on to anyone reading this..Time is SHORT…live it to the fullest that you can..and keep your heart and mind open to every experience that you can hold on to. Keep your loved ones close as you can and never take anything or anyone for granted.
You are missed dear brother…
