Saturday, January 05, 2008

In another lifetime...


In another lifetime...

David might have been a scientist, a pilot or an astronaut. He would have been married with 2 or 3 kids. His kids would have been best friends with their cousin Nathan. He would have taken care of us in our old age.

Instead, we are making arrangements for his memorial service. We still don't know what caused his death on March 10, 2007. I am so grateful that he went peacefully on his own bed with the Bible open beside him. I am grateful that he didn't seem to have suffered physically. God knows he suffered enough psychologically in his lifetime for the last twenty years. I admire the fact that he kept trying, and never really gave up. He continued to love his family and always wanted to be together with them. He loved his grandma and grandpa, even though he sometimes made life difficult for them. He loved his brother. He especially loved his nephew Nathan.



David always looked up his "big" brother Michael. Everything seemed to come easily to Michael. He had an easy confidence and charm that was infectious. When they were little, Michael Jon (like most older siblings) had to be kept back from always speaking for his littler brother. They were like peas in a pod. When they were younger people always mistook them for twins, an illusion perpetuated by the fact that they wanted to dress alike. This changed, of course, when they got older and the "cool" factor entered in. Even then, they wore similar outfits. My favorite was the Miami Vice look: Don Johnson pastel sportcoats with a t-shirt, white pants and sockless loafers. It was difficult for David when Michael Jon went his own way and found his own set of friends. David was always a little shy and didn't make friends easily.


When we met the Tromblys David found his soulmate in their son, Jeff. They met at church and their relationship, despite the normal rocky patches, remained to the end. They were water baptised together; they shared a love for horses and went to horse camp; they both grew their blond hair long and took up electric guitar. They spent many hours jamming together throughout the years. It was the kind of friendship that doesn't end just because one person isn't here anymore. The reunion in heaven will be all the more glorious, with none of the human encumbrances that limit earthly friendships.

I see David in heaven with our Lord, surrounded by the many that have gone before him: his aunt Helena, grandparents Hans and Gretel, our friends Bruce, Sue, Nick and many others. I see him free from his mental turmoil and smiling that sly smile we all loved so much. I see him at his prime: tall, thin, healthy, with long blond curly hair and waiting for us.

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