Funerals, Conventions & Other Diversions

In 2003 I, not normally much of a traveller, made three different trips. In May I went to St. Louis to attend my grandmother's funeral, then in June I visited Seattle on vacation, then in July I went to Indianapolis for GenCon. It was a busy Summer. Business, vacation, and family.

This year a return trip to Indianapolis has been in the cards since early in the year. 7 days from now I'll be schlumping down to BART in the morning to hop on a plane. A few weeks ago my parents invited us on a trip to Hawaii, which we'll be going on this winter. And I started thinking, these trips come in threes, and I began to wonder if there was going to be another death in St. Louis. About a week later I learned that my Uncle Darrell had fallen gravely ill.

My mom called me toward the end of the work day yesterday to let me know that my Uncle Darrell had indeed died Sunday night, as was expected. She was already back in St. Louis, the first time she's been there in almost twenty years, and the viewing is today. So, I'm not back there. As I said, I barely knew Darrell, but sure enough this was tragedy in the midwest.

I just hope my Grandparents are able to weather this. I know that the death of her son, David, back in 1999 now, was the primary element which killed my Grandmother Appel four years later. Before she was still very powerful and vibrant, even if her bones were growing weak; afterward she was ... lost.

I still dream of my Grandma Appel sometimes. A couple of months ago when the inheritance was just getting finalized and when Kimberly was doing very badly at the same time, I dreamt of her several times. Nothing notable, she was just there. I still haven't been able to bring myself to touch that inheritance money, which I really need to get transferred into a more accessible account.

People are always there, even after they die. But they're gone too.