How long does a man live?

This is a fun picture I took last August when we went to visit Don’s brother, Gene. Gene couldn’t stay awake, so Don thought it would be fun to take a nap with him. This visit really is a precious memory to us. Gene passed away last night. His daughter, Mary Beth, sent an email late last night, but we had the computers shut down because of storms, so we woke up to the news this morning. It was a shock, but there is much for which to give thanks. Gene had Alzheimer’s and he was 81. Any additional time on earth could not have been special for him. He was a bright guy and he had lived a good life, but those days were gone. His wife passed away 12 years ago, so he is not leaving a spouse. Mary Beth saw to it that he had the best care possible, but God called Gene home. We are thankful that Don had the experience of an awesome ‘big brother’ all of his life. Gene was 12 years older than Don and was always an example and someone Don admired, respected and loved. We will miss him, but we know this is best for him; Alzheimer’s is a really wicked disease that had mostly already taken Gene and left only his weakened, forgetful body.

"How long does a man live? Is it as long as you can touch him or is it as long as he touches you?" Author Unknown; this is one of my all time favorite quotes.

Our day of baseball went the way of all good rainouts. We were disappointed, but I got 3 loads of laundry done and we got to play cards out at the Meier’s house tonight. Sometimes things just don’t go like we plan, but eventually they work one way or another.