In Memoriam

As day goes and night falls
For the rest of our lives we'll miss y'all
And even though life must go on
We still mourn, but still wishing y'all were home

- hook from "Just A Moment" by Nas ft. Quan

Today has been a rather somber day for me. I have been focused on death just about all day. Putting the Pope's death aside for now, I lost a very close relative today and I feel as if I have had a part of me wrenched from my heart. It has forced me to deal with the encounters with death I have had the past year or so.

The relative who passed today was a great aunt of mine. She and my mother were very close, best friends really, even though they were a generation apart. She lived in the same house in Concord, NC, where she had grown-up. She was a piano player who could make the music sound as if it came from heaven. She was a kind-hearted saint. She will be missed greatly. God Rest Her Soul. Rest In Peace Aunt Genia.

Her passing has also brought me back to the death of my grandfather over the summer. He was a big man, who many say I resemble almost to a tee. He was born in Mt. Pleasant, NC, a slice of heaven on earth. He was a good man who served in the Air Force from 1942 until 1963. Some of my first memories of him were sitting with him eating peanut butter on Saltine crackers (one of his favorite snacks) and listening to him recount his experiences flying the venerable C-47 in the Pacific Theater of World War II. He shared his love of flying with me and instilled my sense of duty and dreams of being a pilot. He showed me so much and was a good ol' farm boy until the end. I miss him a lot and whenever I see a Goony Bird I think of him. Rest In Peace Papa.

Also, the pope died today. He was 84 and had been suffering from Parkinson's Disease and Arthritis. He was known as a man of great courage and humility. HE was also known for having a great sense of humor. You can find the full story HERE.