Uncle Bob

I just want to thank everyone for your thoughts and prayers these past two weeks. For those of you who didn't know, my Uncle Bob had a Massive Stroke Two weeks ago Sunday. He Passed away this past Tuesday.

The stoke left him paralyzed on his right side. When I went to see him, he opened his eyes, but it was so hard to not be able to hear what he was thinking. He was on a ventilator at the time. I kissed his forehead and told him that I loved him and that Adam and the boys loved him too. The next day Aunt Mae made the dicision to remove the Ventilator, the feeding tube and IV. We all knew that was what Uncle Bob wanted. I am sure it was the hardest decision she ever had to make. We continued to pray that he would get strong and make a full recovery. I know how big God is and what he is capable off. I also know that God has a plan, and that it could have been Uncle Bob's time to go. I started to pray for God's will. I prayed for peace for Aunt Mae and the family. Last Tuesday Uncle Bob passed. He was a man of God, and I know were he is today, Heaven.

Uncle Bob was my Great Uncle on my Dad's side. My dad grew up in a very close family. My Memaw and Aunt Mae were sisters. My Memaw, Pepaw, Aunt Mae and Uncle Bob were always together. Some of you have meet them at the boys birthday parties. They would drive from livermore because family meant everything to them. Uncle Bob and Aunt Mae had 4 kids, Angie, Berry, Tony and Vickie who died when she was a child. For my dad and his bother Darren, growing up with Angie, Berry, and Tony, they were all like siblings. I love to hear my dad tell stories of growing up in Livermore. So when they all grew up and had kids, us kids all grew up together. Holidays and weekends at Memaw and Pepaws meant fun with my cousins. Angie is an Aunt to me, and Berry and Tony are my uncles just like Uncle Darren is. We grew up as a very close family full of traditions, and just spending time together. Every thanksgiving and Christmas Day we spent at Memaw and Pepaws who lived right across the street from Uncle Bob and Aunt Mae. The whole family would pile in the two houses, and we would always eat dinner at Memaw and Pepaws, which used to be my Granny's house.

At the funeral they spoke of Faithfulness. My Uncle Bob was faithful to the Marine Corp. He retired as a Major from the U.S. Marine Corps after 23 years of service, serving two tours of duty in Vietnam. He was faithful to his church. He was a member of the Livermore United Methodist Church, the Honorable Order of Kentucky Colonels and had also served as Mayor for the City of Livermore. He helped to establish the Veterans Memorial in Livermore. But most importantly, he was faithful to his family. He was faithful to his wife of 55 years. They said his greatest fear was not of dying, it was of Leaving Aunt Mae behind. They spoke of how he would be asked to go and help with something, and there were so many times he would, but most of the time he would say, "No, I think I will stay with Mae." He loved his family and we loved him. My cousin Shilah and I are very close, and even though Uncle Bob was her Pepaw, he was like another father to her. They had a bond like no other. Shilah's husband, Chris, wrote a song for Uncle Bob called Flowers, and it was played at the funeral. It is on my myspace, check it out, it's beautiful. The funeral was complete with Military Honors, and Uncle Bob would have been proud.

When my memaw died, and I broke down because I couldn't leave my pepaw, Uncle Bob reassured me that he would be OK. He would joke with me about my hair color of the month, and then he would always tell it to you like it was also. He called Little Adam his Little Marine. He gave Little Adam a pocket watch with a the Marine Logo on it alittle over a year ago, and Little Adam cherishes that watch. Little Adam has said for the past few years that he wants to be a Marine when he grows up. When we would visit, Little Adam and Uncle Bob would disappear and we knew they were somewhere together, and uncle bob was showing him some of his medals, or certificates, or pictures. I am so blessed that the boys will have those memories of Uncle Bob.

Everything I knew growing up is changing. The family I grew up with, leaned on, and looked up to is different than before. Change isn't always bad. It's sad to say goodbye, and miss those you love, but I know my Memaw and Uncle Bob are in a better place. They are no longer in pain. I know I will see them again one day.

Just like the Marine Corp hymn says, I'm sure he's guarding heaven's gates standing up straight and proud.