Q. If the first person you wrote about was your sister, who will be the 40th and final?A. My brother.
(For Lent, I've decided to write 40 posts about people I love / made me who I am / thankful to know / appreciate)
A very long time ago my Father and I rode our bikes from our home in Prospect Heights to All Saints Cemetery in Des Plaines. It was the only time I had ever been to my brother's grave, until yesterday.
Yesterday, Good Friday, was the first time I ever went there by myself. My only 20+ year memory of the location was vivid enough to get me close... It took me less than 10 minutes to find what I was looking for... The sight of how close together one grave is to the next and how some gravestones only have a single date engraved had quite an effect.
I knew Kevin's death was in an April. I didn't know much more. I saw the date and realized that the anniversary of his death was this past Tuesday. What did I do this past Tuesday? I thought to myself... The answer: Went to work, played basketball after work, checked my fantasy baseball team before I fell asleep...
That's all I did? It made me feel the urge to apologize, and I did... After regrouping I also softly said thanks. Probably just how a selfish kid brother should... It's horrible that I was so cavalier in not recognizing that day... I should have at least called home to tell my parents I love them. Instead I just lived my selfish life. But, as I've said before, I don't think I'd be here (at least not in this capacity) if Kevin had survived past his ten months he saw in this realm... that's why I gave thanks...
To summarize the last 40 posts, especially today's, in as a simplified statement as possible:
I'm happy to be alive.
Happy Easter everybody.
