remembering uncle david.

friday was uncle david's memorial service.  so many tears were shed, and  it was so hard for me to see my mom, aunt brenda, and uncle randy broken hearted over the loss of their brother.  we've lost our granny and our aunt shelia, but it seemed like this hit everyone a little harder. 

next to shellie, david was the youngest in the family.  it's so hard to believe that he's really gone, and i am so grateful for the time we spent with him over christmas.  my heart aches for haley.

this is a picture of me with my uncle at mine and travis's wedding {another time together for which i'm grateful}.  on the guestbook he signed "hard to give up our girl."  my eyes well up every time ... even before he was gone.  he never missed an opportunity to tell me how beautiful i was and ask why i wasn't a model.  i always told him i could never, but thought it was so special to hear that from him every time i saw him. 

this is a picture i came across while cleaning out some things in the house a few months ago.  it's my uncle david holding my cousins levi & mandi and me.  these are the cousins i was closest to growing up, and i have so many memories of the family all together when we were younger.  here, we're sitting in front of my aunt brenda's fireplace at the house she had most of the time i was growing up.

my uncle was loved for so many reasons.  he was such a funny, thoughtful, kind, gentle person.  even after having lived a very difficult life, he still remained kind and thoughtful.  i hope to remembered for those qualities one day.

at the funeral people shared memories, but i couldn't really talk.  i think one of my favorites is when he and diane came to see me in the hospital after casey had passed away {from brain tumors while i was in the hospital for tumors in my throat and chest}. i didn't realize at the time that he was gone, and now looking back and knowing that, i can't begin to imagine how difficult that must have been for them to come see me.  they donated all of casey's toys to the children's hospital, but they brought me his teddy ruxpin.  one of my absolute favorite toys to play with when at his house.  i also remember summers when uncle david lived closer to us in tahlequah and we would spend time at the creek and then back at his house grilling out and laughing.  he had such a great laugh.  you know what i mean, man ...

funerals of course have a funny way of bringing families and friends together.  i saw my aunt diane for the first time in years {probably since i was six or so}, and she hadn't changed a single bit.  durenda and kelli came as well -- i can't imagine how they were able to stand it after having just lost keith.  and aunt sharon made another trip in from arizona.  it's always nice having everyone together, but certainly everyone wishes under different circumstances.

i wish time didn't have a way of keeping everyone so busy, and that so many paths wouldn't come along forking in different directions and taking down them the people that you love.  my favorite memories are those spent with cousins like mandi, levi, kendra, shantelle, and my granny and aunts and uncles -- particularly aunt brenda, uncle randy, aunt berta, and uncle david.  it's been hard losing some of these very special people, but i know i'm also blessed to have come from such a large family, and am grateful for those memories. 

Lord, help us remember how important we all are to each other, and make room in our days for family visits and more memories.