Saying Goodbye...

On Tuesday evening, October 11th, my last remaining uncle on my mom's side left this earthly realm bound for Heaven. This leaves me with two of my mom's sisters...and, of course, my precious cousins. Though not the focus of this blog, when those sisters are gone...I don't even want to think about it. A piece of the original me will be gone. That's a topic for a blog that I hope will be in the far distant future. Tonight I focus of my Uncle, Jim Henson.

Uncle Jim has ALWAYS been one of my favorites. He is one of few men I have known who was DEVOTED to his wife, my Aunt Neat. He was never ashamed to show affection toward her and I'm betting that she was the topic of 90% of his conversations. He fell in love with his "Neata" in 1945 and I firmly believe that he was as much in love with her Tuesday when he passed away as he was the day he first laid eyes on her. He teased her, he joked with her, but when he spoke of her there was a light in his eyes that was undeniable. She was the love of his life without a doubt.

Uncle Jim was a Christian. Not just in name. In fact, I'm pretty sure that he really didn't give a flip about labels. Uncle Jim was a Christian in his life. In the way he daily conducted himself. In the way he treated his wife. In the way he treated his children. In the relationships he had with family...with friends...with neighbors. If Uncle Jim ever said a curse word I never heard it...or heard about it. One of my favorite memories is that Uncle Jim worked for Maryland Club Coffee for-ev-er...or so it seemed. He would bring home hot cocoa packets and somehow we would end up with some of those. As a kid growing up in a time when there wasn't a lot of extra money, that cocoa probably wasn't really as delicious as it seemed. Or maybe it was just that Uncle Jim thought of us and shared. That's the kind of guy he was.

I remember when Uncle Jim and Aunt Neat lived in Lancaster. They had a "farm." In my child's mind it was huge. I remember visiting on one occasion and Uncle Jim convincing me that it would be a huge treat for me to be able to go out into their garden and pick tomatoes. I didn't have a clue what I was doing but he said it would be fun so I got out in the middle of that garden and started pulling stuff up...hope it was tomatoes.

Years ago my aunt and uncle moved to east Texas. Time and distance...I let those get between us. I married, had children, had grandchildren and blamed a "busy life" on keeping me from visiting my aunt and uncle like I wanted. Now, I will have to wait until I get to Heaven to once again hear one of Uncle Jim's silly jokes...or endless golf stories. What does that song say? "Regrets. I have a few..." That's one. Over the years I only made the trip to visit them twice in East Texas. And now, when I go, and I WILL go, there will be only Aunt Neat.

I feel conflicted...confused. There is a part of me that is rejoicing that this world of pain and confusion is in the past for Uncle Jim. That he no longer has to be confused, or sick, or in pain...that the mortal realm is over for him. There is another part of me where my heart is breaking. I know that he is in a much better place. I know for a fact that he is a resident of Heaven...that he's probably sharing a cup of Maryland Club coffee with Jesus. It would be just like him to take some along to share. While I know all this, I also know that he is no longer here. And that breaks my heart. That I won't see him holding hands with my aunt as they walk along the sidewalk or under the trees at their home. That I'll no longer hear his laughter. That I will no longer be witness to this man of God and his compassion and mercy.

There are few men on this earth that I truly look up to with admiration and respect. Now there is one less.

Rest in peace, Jim Henson. I love you and already miss you.