Uncle Ray Hesley Died
Sunday, February 22nd, 2009My Dad’s next younger brother, Ray Hesley, passed away yesterday. He was 71 years old.
Aunt Lois called to ask if I’d be a pallbearer. Of course, I agreed, although I’ve never done this before. I wanted to do it for Ray but the thought of the-first-time-I’ve-ever-done-it nature of this task gave me the jitters.
I wonder if I have anything to wear that will fit? I gained some weight at Christmas, which for the most part is gone, but is it gone enough to allow me to get into my old friend the sport jacket? I don’t know. Let’s find out.
So I fetched my outfit from the clothes bins in the attic and tried it on. Goodness, it’s a bit tight to be sure, especially around the shoulders. Oh well, as long as I don’t raise my arms too high or stretch too far in any direction, it should be okay.
It was nice to hear from Aunt Lois even though the occasion is sad. I remember when Dad died in 1997, her and Ray visited him almost every day in the weeks leading up to his passing. Our two families grew closer then and I hoped that we’d stay that way. But once Dad was laid to rest, we drifted apart again. True, Ray’s health has been not-so-good the past several years and perhaps that’s why we didn’t hear from them more. But I hope that this time we can preserve the togetherness that results when families come together for funerals. I hope it survives Ray’s internment.