A Brief Tribute to an "Iggles" Fan

Today I'm blogging through a pounding headache that was only exacerbated by a battle with a child who could not manage to complete his homework before his bedtime. Exhausting. So tonight's entry will be short.

My Uncle Bob died on this day one year ago. He was the husband of my father's oldest sister and the father of my three older cousins. He was a good man who loved his family and his small community in New Jersey. He was an avid sports fan, devoted to the "Iggles" and the Phillies. His health wasn't very good, and it seemed that my Aunt Pat was always trying to keep him from indulging in his favorite foods, because he wasn't supposed to eat them. He had a big heart and a great sense of humor. We lost him too soon.

When I moved away from the East Coast as a teen and moved on with my life as a young adult, visits with Uncle Bob, Aunt Pat, cousins Bobby, Bryan and Linda were too few. I was very lucky when unexpected winds of change swept me back to New Jersey and the loving arms of this part of my family at the same time I found out I was pregnant. While I was at home with the new baby, I was invited to join the "Tuesday breakfasts" that my father, grandfather and Uncle Bob had each week. We'd meet at a local diner and often my Aunt Pat, cousin Bobby, and other members of the family would join us. We'd have a nice breakfast together and I'd spend some time afterward with my dad or my grandfather. This tradition continued from the time I could take Declan out in a car carrier to when he could sit on his own in a booster seat at the table. Uncle Bob, Pop Pop, and Declan also share March birthdays, so we had a few joint parties for the birthday boys. Of course life stepped in again and I now call the Golden Isles my home, but I feel very blessed that I got that time to "rediscover" the family I had spent so much time apart from and to share their love with my son.

So today, I think of my Uncle Bob. And, as I told my cousin earlier, it makes me smile to know that he's looking down on all of us, watching "dem Iggles" in the playoffs and eating as much ice cream as he wants. I love you and miss you, Uncle Bob.