My baby brother Brian died last Sunday in Rincon, Georgia at age 51. I understand that the couple weeks before he died he was playing Dodgem Cars on a borrowed electric scooter in the plat where he lived . He was feeling a lot better because he had told his physicians to discontinue the chemotherapy that was supposed to give him longer life but almost killed him. Apparently it was pretty peaceful , at an early family Thanksgiving dinner when somebody checked to see if he needed more of anything ,and suddenly there was nobody at home. At least I am told. I didn't know him nearly as well as the other siblings because he was barely in grade school when I went off to college. He wound up joining the Navy and did something or other on the deck of an aircraft carrier, arguably one of the most dangerous work environments in the world. Got run over by an airplane, crunched his foot and spent some time in a hospital in Spain getting it fixed. The xrays looked like the back of the nuts and bolts department of a hardware store. And he wound up working and going to school with one of those big aircraft companies in the southeast when he was separated from the Service. Aerospace Technical Writer, I think, that kind of thing. He found a wife and daughter along the way - Renee and Sarah -and was interested in everything. Over the past few years he set up a big variety of websites that had to do with animals, nature, rockets, space and patriotism and he participated in numerous computer technical sites worldwide to help other users. You can find his thumbnail index page at
http://b40.50megs.com/thumbs.htm.
He also created most of the background designs for his websites.
My take on all this:
1. I feel bad when people I love and care about sail out of my life. I think that dying with Thanksgiving dinner is better than living longer and mostly dead. And mostly dead, perversely, costs a lot more too.
2. I'm reminded of the Psalm in the Bible that stipulates there is a time for everything, being born, dying and every thing in between. I see life as a giant continuity, a big roller coaster where some of us jump on for the ride and, at some predesignated point, jump off again, or into the next life, or another life. It's all defined ahead by Somebody and that's how it is.
3. I think that our friends and family are on loan only, to us, by the Universe, and we are on loan to the others who care for us. We belong to the Universe, or God, if you will, and the loans will be called in eventually. But what a ride while they're in force!
Happy Thanksgiving! Here's to you Brian and Renee and Sarah. Ta!
http://b40.50megs.com/thumbs.htm.
He also created most of the background designs for his websites.
My take on all this:
1. I feel bad when people I love and care about sail out of my life. I think that dying with Thanksgiving dinner is better than living longer and mostly dead. And mostly dead, perversely, costs a lot more too.
2. I'm reminded of the Psalm in the Bible that stipulates there is a time for everything, being born, dying and every thing in between. I see life as a giant continuity, a big roller coaster where some of us jump on for the ride and, at some predesignated point, jump off again, or into the next life, or another life. It's all defined ahead by Somebody and that's how it is.
3. I think that our friends and family are on loan only, to us, by the Universe, and we are on loan to the others who care for us. We belong to the Universe, or God, if you will, and the loans will be called in eventually. But what a ride while they're in force!
Happy Thanksgiving! Here's to you Brian and Renee and Sarah. Ta!
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