That is the term we use in the kiting community when a flier passes away, leaving a hole where his kites used to be. There have been two such holes in as many weeks, one was a Region 8 flier whom I did have the honor to know, the other I was not acquainted with personally.
The loss of a friend is always tough, and as we age our circle of pals tends be older and the percentages are ever increasing that a loss might occur. I was very close to Jimmy back in 1998 and he was about twenty years my senior [have often been around older, wiser friends] but Jimmy was physically fit, worked out a bit, he smoked, had a few beers on hot afternoons, but a six pack abs and plenty “guns” when they were required. He started having muscle control issues about
April and started seeing his HMO doctors, who conjured up all kinds of “guesses” as to why he could not control his right hand. During remodeling of their home he could not use a power drill, we built a trailer for a sand rail in May and he could not hold a welder stinger or grinder with his right, in fact by June he could no longer drive his sand car [manual shifting and steering brakes] Diane had to drive him on all our trail rides.
We spent nine days on the “mountain” and each day we made a twenty mile trek to telephone his HMO and doctors to see if permission for an MRI had finally been given. He was finally brought in first week of August, MRI showed a tumor the size of golf ball in his brain, some rare cancer [50 cases worldwide] was all through the area. Surgery was immediate, mega radiation the next day but 5 days onward and Jimmy was gone, devastation to our sand rail club!!! And I took it very hard. We were so close that we often would finish each others sentences!!! I think I have a tendency to not be so very close with folks again,. not wanting to re-live the painful past of losing one so close.
All that story to say that I was so affected by Jimmy’s passing on, and seeing the tears of his little grand kids at the wake, it made me realize that we only have one shot at life. There are no reset buttons, and we had best spend our time wisely with our family and other loved ones. I quit smoking, cold turkey, moved closer to family members and made a life for my only son teaching him many things a 18 year old needs to know. Also became proactive in the lives of my younger girls, the youngest whom just became engaged.
Now as I am still older and as more friends are passing it makes me want to be sure that our relationships are all they can be. Those with our earthly family and associates; and most importantly the relationship with our Creator, the single most important relationship in our life, here, and in the beyond.
Wickedrevs Windy World 