Sometimes there isn't enough words- or coffee.
Dwight was a husband...a father...a teacher...a musician and an amazing friend. For the past year or so the doctors would give up on him, but Dwight would keep on going...bouncing back again and again. An inspiration to me. The Energizer Bunny. In the last few months he had gotten much weaker...very tired. A group of friends from the Gathering who live in the Austin/Dallas-Ft. Worth area have spent the past couple weeks visiting at the hospital...bringing guitars...playing (both for him...and when he felt strong enough...with him.) We talked on the phone. Through it all he remained amazingly upbeat. Our last conversation centered around the music, Bill, "pot brownies"-(something he was sure was a cure-all), and ended with "I love ya, guy."
It would be our last conversation.
Al...who was the creator of the Texas Gatherings...and remains the organizer has proposed the beginnings of a Memorial Wall since in the last few years we have lost quite a few...Chris Rockliffe...Pete Gay...Ed and Sharon...Bill...Don Lewis...and now Dwight.
Ken (another friend) reflected on something his mother said when she was in her 90's...
" ~all my friends are dead.~ "
And the older he gets (he says)...the more he realizes the weight of that statement.
RIP Dwight.
You will be missed...and remembered.
So our musical Family surrounds Bev now as she picks her way through the earliest fog of widowhood and grief...and going to be there to guide her to DS later...when she reaches that point. Softly blurring the line between my "families".
And "Family" we are. 106 of us, last count.
An incredible thing...morphing from a DS group and strangers to ties that bind almost closer than blood at times. Strangers who shared the most traumatic loss of their lives...chaos...and tears...until finally we re-emerged to the place where "life goes on"...only now we are brothers and sisters instead of strangers. Moving from DS to a private FB group. And Gatherings...seems like everyone is always heading somewhere for a mini-gathering of sorts. Iowa. Vegas. Chicago. Indiana. A long weekend in Missouri with Betty (...at her Redneck Training Camp...) A Cruise planned in April and West Palm Beach with Diane and Sal. A small group headed to Africa...where Gail proves how dodgy the electric can be as well as giving everyone an Introduction to the local wildlife that will take refuge in your house during the rains. Another group this week to Hawaii. And I thought I used to travel a lot.
The enormous Pennsylvania Gathering...and YES Vicki...I will be there with bells on... where a collection is being gathered for Dave in the UK...in Darleen's brilliant
"Send a Brit to The States"
endeavor.
His pub tab alone may single-handedly save our US economy!
And since Ralph is making his way via Hummer from Colorado...I see brownie baking in our future :)
~laughing~
Nothing more wonderful than a Gathering of Old Hippies! Now where did I put that damned Lava Lamp?
No book of the week...this. But definitely something everyone should add to their bucket list if you've never seen it. A theatrical production of Thornton Wilder's: Our Town.
This may be the pinnacle of playwriting.
Leaving all with a thought for today:
