Monday, July 9, 2007

Believe


You do not know what wars go on down there where the spirit meets the bone.
~Miller Williams
Nor do we ever really understand them. This is one entry I hope I can get through enough to post. No tag offer today and for those who requested my tag last week, thank you for your patience.  By now you should have received your tag by email.  Please let me know if you have not.

I wish I could say this will be a happy, upbeat and positive entry...that's what I want my journal to be. Heavy on the ups with a mere trace of the downs. But life doesn't always work out that way. This is an entry of good and bad. Best start with the bad, so as to end on a positive note. For as long as I can remember in all my relationships I do strive to end things on a positive note...with positive words and a smile for we never truly know what lies around the next corner.

  
Last week life went around another corner.

Sam and I returned home from the mountains on Wednesday and of itself the trip was somewhat eventful, but that'll come later. Thursday morning as I prepared for work, Sam called me from his office. He never calls me before I leave for work and when he said he had some bad news a million thoughts passed through my head. His company had been sold and he might losehis job, a friend was injured, any number of things...but what I heard may as well been spoken to me in a foreign language for in all my life I swore I'd never hear anyone tell me my uncle Dick had shot himself. Never. Not Dick...not my Uncle Dick.  No...no...nooooooooooo.
 
I hate telephones...they are never the messenger of good tidyings. 

In my life I've known two uncles; a brother for each my father and my mother.  And with all the similarities there could be between the two I never dreamed they would both leave this world with a gun pointed at their head.
  
Just hours ago I sat in solemn fellowship with my family as we remembered a warm, happy, devoted, and funny man who loved many and many loved. The number of people in attendance was so great the ceremony was delayed a half an hour to allow everyone into the church. My Aunt, bless her heart, is a strong woman and on the outside she's her usual self. Watching her today, I saw not a grieving widow, but a concerned mother and help mate focused on the comfort of those around her. She and my cousins met with every person who attended the service; it took an hour for all the guests to make their way past the area reserved for family...but people waited, patiently, for their time with them.  For an hour my aunt reached out, hugged, spoke, listened, bowed her head, and every now and then, she'd smile...maybe laugh.  She held it together, meeting face after face of sadness and she remained strong. Solid. Beneath the surface who knows what is going on. Does anyone? My cousins miss their daddy. Doesn't matter that they are all adults...a broken heart knows only the pain of loss. 

They played 'Believe' by Brooks and Dunn today, Amazing Grace, I Can Only Imagine, and several others that escape my memory right now. Uncle Dick was in each and every song. 

We will never know why.  We do know he was depressed and under a doctor's care.  I heard talk today that the anti-depressants prescribed to him are the focus of a class action lawsuit. And I heard family members say he wasn't himself last Tuesday morning. He took his dog for a walk, spent a little time with his youngest son, who then left on a errand. My aunt left to exercise, and my uncle walked out to the garage. That is where she found him when she returned.

As children we prepare ourselves for the inevitable loss of a parent, but we are never really prepared. Whether the loss is sudden and unexpected, or comes after a lengthy illness, more often than not we want a do-over, a replay...another day, another month, another year. It can't be, not yet. And we hold on to the thread of memory hanging loose from the woven fabric of a lifetime, fearful that if that thread is released from the cloth we will lose it forever. Caught in the winds of change the thread will disappear leaving us with only the remnant of what was once the life we knew.

It hurts. 

Fifteen years ago two young girls, aged 14 and 12, were dealing with the loss of a mother taken from them too soon and unexpectedly in a plane crash. When I reached out to relate my familiar understanding of such a loss, I was told point blank by both that I didn't know what they were feeling because I was an adult when I lost my mother. They were hurting, angry...confused and I understood that. Rather than react to their heated response, I merely replied that the heart has no concept of time; a broken heart knows only the pain of loss. They both dismissed the thought without another word until five years later when my dad lost his battle with cancer. On the day I buried my father they saw with their own eyes and heart, just what I meant. Now I think they understand.

One of my sisters asked me today when I last saw our Uncle...it was last year at a trip to our local Costco. Sam and I chatted casually with Dick and Jean'e about their new house and my aunt reminded me as she always does that they never see me enough, I need to call them more often, and I could drop by their home anytime. And yes, now I wish I had. There was always this excuse or that reason, the demands of life in 3D and after a day at work all I want to do is nothing. I'm home and I don't want to leave. I can't find comfort in those words now, they no longer work for me so I'm tossing them out before I round the next corner.

A moment ago I was struck by a thought, a bit of irony if you will. Sixteen years ago my 34 year old cousin drowned while kayaking on the N Fork of the Clearwater River. The day my cousin drowned, Sam was camping at Washington Creek Campground.

My aunt and uncle never got over the loss of their oldest son. The irony is when my uncle put that gun to his head last Tuesday afternoon, Sam and I were camping at Washington Creek Campground...and just a few days before we had drove past the Irish Railroad rapids, where my cousin drowned. And I thought about him as I looked into the swirling white water action bubbling over the granite boulders. I always think about Jerry whenever we travel to the North Fork. He loved it up there, it was his second home and each time I'm there I often feel the essence of his spirit nearby. And I smile.  
The trip to the mountains began and was for the most part a refreshing break. We went camping with another couple and on the drive up Friday night we hit a horrible storm complete with golf ball sized hail. When the first ball hit the pick-up cab it landed with a loud BOOM! Scared the begeezus outta me!! The storm really did a number on the forest, in places it looked like a torpedo had hit the mountainside. There were trees laying across the road and several times we had to navigate the pick-up and our 27 foot trailer over the thick trunk of a once tall standing cedar or fir tree. It was crazy! 

The next day the weather was all blue skies and sunny days. Not too many gentle breezes, but we had a cool clean river in which to cool off. We ate too much, relaxed a lot and the guys caught and released a couple of fish. I put my hummingbird feeder out, but had few visitors. So when we made our annual drive up river to the Kelly Forks Work Center (Forest Service) I asked the staff person about the decreased hummingbird activity. She's taking a birding class and told me the population has declined by 50-80% in the past fifteen years, but the babies will be flying soon so the numbers will then increase. It was a nice trip for the most part, but I'll let the photos take it from here.

  Low hanging storm clouds over the Weippe Prairie. Lil red on a rock. Casey's Shower, July 2007 Casey's Shower, July 2006 Castle (or Cathedral) Rock Rum's a happy dog. In my shoes.

16 comments:

Anonymous said...

I am so sorry for your loss.  Suicide is such a hard thing to try and understand.  I always try to put myself in their shoes...his pain must have been unbearable.  You may never know the why's or even understand but it must have just been more than he could handle, the clouds too dark to see thru to a sunny tomorrow.

Hang in there and take care of yourself.  Love you Mag...

Anonymous said...

 It seems as tho suicide affects us so terribly when we think that maybe there was something WE should have done differently ... as you remembering that you might have visited or called.  Try not to dwell too much on that thought.  After all, death comes to all of us, eventually.  Your aunt is the one that needs your attention.  Your uncle will never really die as long as there are those who keep his memory in their thoughts.
LOIS

Anonymous said...

I know I said it before, but I'm praying for all of you in the death of your uncle.

The pictures are really beautiful of your camping trip.

Anonymous said...

Dona I am so sorry for your loss.  Prayers and strength go out to you and your family.  *hugs*  Your pictures and description of your trip is marvelous.  
hugs my friend
d

Anonymous said...

Sorry about the pain...glad for the good stuff for you!  LOVE the last 2 shots.

Hugs,
nancy

Anonymous said...

My heart goes out to you & your family for your loss   Suicide is a very tough one for i've been close to it myself   even with my insights i still think that's a tough one to explain....your pics are great and what a great way for reflection through this difficult time    take care....hugz~kbear

Anonymous said...

Dona
You and your family are in my thoughts and prayers.  I am so sorry for your loss.  The video was a nice tribute to your uncle, thanks for sharing that with us.  Your pictures are beautiful, as always.  The camping trip sounded like a nice getaway even with the hail storm.
Sam

Anonymous said...

Sorry to hear of your loss - Hoping some comfort comes soon! Take care of you and yours ~ Your pictures are beautiful!
Katie

Anonymous said...

I`m so sorry to hear your dreadful news Dona. My prayers are with you and your family.

Love Sandra xxxx

Anonymous said...

I am so sorry to hear about your uncle!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  I will be praying for you and your family. This was a lovely entry about life, love, loss and pain...  HUGS!!
Lisa

Anonymous said...

I'm sorry to hear of your Uncle's death.....suicide, none of us know what makes a person go thris route, we can only pray they have found peace.  It's the family that is left that has to deal with this....we just lost a friend 2 weeks ago who went this route also....so feel your pain and the question, why?  Bless you all. Arlene (AJ)

Anonymous said...

God bless you and your family with all comfort.  I am very sorry for your unexpected loss.  The pictures are beautiful.  -  Barbara

Anonymous said...

This is my first visit to your beautiful journal (found your link in Jimmy's sidebar...), and I am very moved by your words here, and wish to offer my condolences for the loss of your uncle and for the losses you still carry in your heart ~ as you will for always ~ as well as the memories that are dear to you.

Your photos are breathtaking.  Thank you for sharing such beauty.  

Wishing you peace and inner strength,

Michelle
http://journals.aol.com/inafrnz247/Reflections/  

Anonymous said...

I agree with you in that I believe the heart is timeless, and what was painful in childhood will still hurt as much in our adult lives. I also believe that with the right words, pain can be conveyed in such a way that it can be shared by those who care about you. I hope this lets you know that I'm doing my best right now to say the right things, so that you understand I'll share yours a little with you tonight. I'm so very sorry by all that took place.

I hope that the beauty you saw through your lens as you took those pictures offered at least a little comfort to you.

Jimmy

Anonymous said...

I am so very sorry to hear the news of your uncle...I know I was prescribed a antidepressant to help quit smoking...and it too has side effects that people are suing them over..during the time I was on them...I took what was left of the whole bottle...thank God I had the sense to drive myself to the ER..which only landing me a stay in the hospital....Praying you all!  Hugs,TerryAnn

Anonymous said...

I LOVE the photo of you and you shoes looking out over the water.  Your photos are beautiful.  I am so, so sorry about your uncle.  Suicide is horrible, touches some many who are left behind.  Thoughts are with you.
Cheryl
http://boiseladie.blogspot.com/