The doctors gave my Uncle John six months to live…six years later he lost the fight to cancer. My cousin got up and spoke at his memorial service, which I think is such a brave thing to do, and talked about how he never minced words. He never apologized for disciplining his kids, but he would always follow it with saying ”I love you.” He believed in seeing everything through from start to finish whether that be his marriage or re-siding the house. He was an avid cyclist until he just couldn’t get on the bicycle anymore. He cycled through most of his fight with cancer. He never complained about any of the pain or the things he had to do to fight the cancer. He accepted it and kept on going.
I remember Uncle John as quite the dancer. The saying “dance like no one is watching’ was writtien for him. I had occasion to dance with him many years ago at a small bar in this area called The Pub, I did the best I could to keep up with him and then again (thankfully a slow dance) at my wedding. These were probably my best memories of him as I got older I didn’t see him as much. When I was younger I spent a lot of time at his house as his daughters and I were close in age. He always worried our skirts were too short when we were getting ready to go out to The American Legion or The Pub, they happened to be two places his oldest daughter and I frequented in our early twenties. My Aunt (my dad’s sister) would always call out after us “have fun but don’t forget what your last name is!” As if we would ever do anything to disgrace our good names! Since, I think it was my Aunt Jo’s funeral , I have kept in mind the priest saying to take something and keep it in your heart. For my Uncle John I will keep in my heart the saying “dance like no one is watching.”
