One of those people was Uncle Louis. Louis was a man that you liked as soon as you met him. He had a charming smile, an easy laugh, and a kind heart; all of which you could sense immediately.
He had a playful side too, once when Amelia spent the week with Aunt Hulda and Uncle Louis, Amelia and Louis were playing on the treadmill in the basement. Aunt Hulda came down to scold them for playing on it, but as soon as she was upstairs, they resumed their antics. I can imagine the twinkle in his eyes and the mischievous grin on his face!
Every time I saw him, he would ask me how my mother was doing. The first time he asked I said, "She's ok." He asked me what that meant. "Uh, you know, she's fine." To this, he said, "I don't know what you mean by that, it seems rather vague." I realized that he genuinely wanted to know how Mom was doing. Usually, people ask questions like that, and they don't pay attention to the answer. Not Uncle Louis, he truly wanted to know about mom. When I was with him, I could tell him the truth about Mom. He was a great listener. Listening is a lost art, but a compassionate, caring individual will take the time to listen. He was that person, and when you spoke with him, he focused on you and made you feel special.
I lost my dad 15 years ago, so I know what it's like to lose a father. Uncle Louis and Aunt Hulda had 3 kids, Cheryl, Debbie, and Wayne. I don't know the perspective of a son losing their dad, but I can relate well to a girl losing her father.
Our dads are our protectors. They are smarter than anyone, they are our teachers, they're more lenient than Mom, they can do no wrong, they mend toys and broken hearts. They banish the monsters under the bed and relocate any bugs that infiltrate our room. They are our forever heroes. Many times we honor our fathers by marrying men that are similar to our dad, I know that's what I did.
Aunt Hulda, you married an amazing man, Cheryl, Debbie, and Wayne, how fortunate you were to call him Dad.
Goodbye Uncle Louis, I wish I could have known you longer, but I love you, and I will always think of you fondly.
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