Today is Papa Ray's birthday -- oh, how I wish we could celebrate with him. Such a bittersweet day! I remember growing up that my mom was always a little melancholy on the birthdays of her parents and brother who had all passed away. I never understood why, but, like so many other things that I begin to understand as I "grow up," I now have a better understanding of that.
Ray meant so much to all of us, and his being gone leaves such a void in our lives. Everything is just a little less colorful without his involvement. There are things everyday that I wish I could share with him, knowing he'd be excited with us and, of course, have a little piece of advice to offer. :o)
I most miss his laugh and his hugs and the way he ate hamburgers and how he put pepper on everything and how he could sleep propped up on his side in the floor in front of the TV and the sound of him coming home in his stiffish uniform and the sound of him saying, "What's my Abi doing?" when he called and the way he got all worked up about things he disagreed with and driving up their driveway after a long trip from wherever we were living at the time and seeing him on the mower in the front yard, waving us home and how thrifty he was and . . . so many things!
I have so wished that he could hold Camryn and that we'd be able to see just how smitten he is with her. He thought Abi was the pinnacle of perfection, and I know he'd be just as in love with Camryn!
We love you and miss you!
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So precious, Mischelle. Darin also had a Papa Ray...isn't that weird? That's exactly what everyone called him. He passed about 8 years ago. Your blog made me remember happy memories with our Papa Ray!
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