Every Moment we have is Grace

My Dad was born in 1916 and he passed away in 1985 in the summer. My mother and I were devastated. I was 37. My Mom never fully recovered losing the love of her life. My father was sort of like a Spiritual John Wayne. Tough as nails. 6 foot 2 1/2 and not nearly as diplomatic as I tend to be. He was one of the World War II generation. Just plain scary if you crossed them. But, the most kind person I ever met if I always told him the truth about everything. You just didn't cross my Dad or his sister Eloise because you wouldn't physically survive it. (Either one).

They likely were both the most wonderful and scary people I ever met in my life. My aunt Eloise was really scary. Her second husband hit her in the belly when she was pregnant with my cousin. She calmly walked into the kitchen and got a butcher knife and came back thrusting that knife through the door at her husband. He had to escape out the window.

You just didn't (f---) with my Dad or my aunt or you might wind up dead. I knew this all my life.

Eloise would protect me to the death (I had no doubt about that and watched her scare people so bad to protect me that they were whimpering on the ground howling in fear and a few moment before thinking they could harm or abuse me in some way. They were  lucky she didn't kill them.

But, if I ever lied to Eloise I would get the same so she was just plain terrifying. Beautiful blonde woman, incredibly physically active and strong and a Hollywood actress. But, just don't cross her because she would think nothing of killing you if you did.

We come from pioneer stock. People were just like that who settled this country. Always were.

I could always count on Eloise as long as I was honest with her. She would protect me to the death.
When my church kicked me out for being too 1960s she said, "Those Bastards!" And she meant it.

In 2008 Eloise passed on in June. She was the first to go that year. She was my favorite aunt. She always had my back and I always had hers to the end. I honor my aunt Eloise.

Next, my wife's father passed away in July 2008. Next, my cousin Janice passed (7 years older than I)
around September or October.  Next, my mother passed away while I was in Los Angeles Airport (LAX) waiting to change flights in late October as we transported her father's ashes to be buried next to his parents in Saint Louis, Missouri.

When was it all going to end?

A very difficult couple of years losing my mother and her father the same year.