En Memoria de...

"Say Uncle, Say it!" "No!!!!" I scream with my high-pitched pre-pubescent voice. I try to run but there's no running from his death grip on my leg as he relentlessly tickles me. I turn and try to return the assault by tickling him, unfortunately my attempts are to no avail due to the immunity he apparently has being a grown man. I struggle for what feels like an eternity, but probably translates to about thirty seconds. Then, as I gasp for air I finally succumb to his request. "Okay! *gasps* okay! Uncle!" 

Kind of a silly game to play with somebody that is actually your Uncle, nevertheless, this was played at least once a day as he proved his superiority to my cousin and I. This would then be followed by a sound defeat of the two of us on the basketball court. At least, afterwards, he would pick me up and let me dunk a few times and then fly me around the yard like superman. This would last until superman would crash into a mound of leaves I had just raked for a beautiful, shiny quarter. Then, this mountain of a man would put on his Dolphins jersey and QB a one on one football game for us.

The best times were always if we got a chance to ride over to Nana and Tata's house. We would get to hop in the bed of the old beat up toyota truck for the two block ride to their house. My uncle must not have had a good sense of direction because we'd always end up off the street and in the desert going over jumps and bushes as us kids in the back would squeal with joy as we'd hold onto anything we could to steady ourselves. Or, even better was, the time it snowed and we hooked up an inner tube to the back of the truck with a rope and he pulled us around and we'd get flung off when the rope would wrap around a bush.

There were so many fun times I had with him and I've always had this strange love for the smell of beer because he would always get off work and sit down with a beer or two. Never enough to be drunk, but just enough for him to have a faint smell of it as he played with me. Also, I would get a whopping two dollars for crushing all the cans when we'd go to recycle them!

My Aunt Gerry and him watched me every afternoon from age 5 to 13 while my parents brought home the bacon. They would play with me, feed me, (occasionally discipline me), and give me everything I needed to have a fun childhood. I'd probably be a way different person if it wasn't for the love from my parents and from my extended family who took such good care of me growing up.

The fact that my Uncle passed away this week puts a heavy burden on my heart. I wish I could have told him how grateful I was for those times. But, I refuse to let this pain strip me of these wonderful memories and I want to share these moments with you to share some of the great experiences I had with a great Uncle.

I don't know how you choose to grieve when you lose someone you care about but I would recommend expressing it; don't hold it in. I choose to write because that's how I express myself best. You can paint, sing, write, or just talk with friends and family but know there is a light at the end of every dark time.

 En memoria de "Big" Randy Gallegos