And the beat goes on....

Today was a day of celebration and joy. The bear, along with many dear friends, celebrated graduating 4th grade. Some of the gals looked a little like wobbly colts in their first pair of high heels but you could see the women that they will become. Some of the boys opted for a more casual look with a tie and flip flops. I see them headed to Austin:)





I know she is ready for her next adventure, and I have the summer to catch up to her.

Bill

It seems like I was just writing about what an amazing woman Gert was. She passed away peacefully last summer. Bill could not remember that she was gone and grieved for her anew, every single day until June 9th, when he
died after sustaining a fall. His family had this to say about him in his eulogy:

In his final years Dad had no short term memory and couldn't connect events beyond about a minute. I have sometimes tried to imagine what it would be like to never know how you have gotten to the moment that you are currently in. More often I have just marveled at the qualities of outlook, trust in your fellow man, and confidence in yourself that would be required to face each new moment like this with the calm and happiness that Dad displayed. He kept these qualities until the end as he flashed us the thumbs up and hummed a happy song through the oxygen mask.
"You Are My Sunshine," was one of Dad’s favorite songs. Matt remembers being a young child and learning to sing this song with his Grandpa. While it was written as a lover’s song, so much of it could just as easily apply to Dad. He was the sunshine for all of us. And Mom was his sunshine.
Not only was Dad an amazing grandfather and father, he was a wonderful husband to Mom. He used to tell us about how he met Mom on the boat to Provincetown and every time he told the story he had a sparkle in his eye. You could feel the love they had for each other. Amy remembers him telling her that he still got butterflies in his stomach when Nana walked in the room. They were inseparable to the end, holding hands or smiling at each other. They were in love throughout their entire marriage. Dad would say things like "no wonder I fell in love with her." He would tell her she was the most beautiful person in the room. Dad always said he did not care what they did or where they went as long as he was with her. When Mom passed away Dad said he will "see her in his dreams." Now he is with her again.




Many of Scott's friends came to the wake. They all said the same thing: "he made me want to be as good a man as he was."

I say this: Bill, you taught your sons/daughter how to love and that is how revolutions begin. You were a warrior for peace and I will love and treasure you always. I truly hope you and Gert are locked in an eternal embrace.