Husband, Father, Christian

It was a day like any other day. I found out my uncle passed away. Lost his battle with cancer after what probably seemed like an eternity to his family. After hearing the news the pacing of the day seemed to slow as the importance of work became less so. When a family member dies, even a distant one, it forces us to remember specific characteristics about them and tell stories.

It also reminds us of how precious life is.  

Everyone leaves their impact on the world in different ways. I am sitting here listening to an instrumental station that is heavy on piano melodies and old school worship. It seems appropriate for the moment since I associate piano worship with my uncle. I am sure he occasionally sat down to watch a movie or read a book but in my mind I can’t imagine it. To me he was engaged in some other activity at all times. If the families were eating cake for a birthday party he was around but usually taking pictures and video of the party, not to mention editing the photos before everyone left. He liked being just outside of the circle, just on the edges of the party. Present and polite but engaged in other pursuits at the same time. His mind organized work before play even though some of his work must have felt like play. 

My Uncle the photographer.

Funerals are difficult for a whole lot of reasons and even tougher when the deceased is family. Death has been defeated but we are still left with its legacy. Its efforts to convince us that the sting is real and the grave is forever are cruel lies constantly retold. Even in defeat Death fights harder and inflicts more pain. We have a Champion though whose resurrection eliminates the finality of death—a savior who broke the curse forever revealing a bright future full of hope and free of sorrow.

 Our efforts at love and life are God inspired and hopefully we touch others with the light of Christ. Our talents reflect the beauty of our Creator. Much of that beauty for Eldon is in the music he created. The lyrics and melodies he loved to write while sitting at his piano and recording. He seemed to have a craftsman’s dedication to playing, improving, tweaking.  Song flowed naturally from him the way water flows from an underground spring. One memory I have is of my uncle on the stage at church performing one of the songs he wrote while playing the guitar. I didn’t know before that day he could play so well, or at all. The piano sure, the guitar—I never knew it. 

My Uncle the musician.

I remember his fondness for Seinfeld and the quirky humor the show was known for. I didn’t share his fascination with old sports cars and his tech knowledge was far ahead of mine.  Seinfeld I got though. I think his happiness and ‘fan boy’ enthusiasm for the show rubbed off on those around him. By the time it became syndicated the show had spanned generations of followers and nerd subcultures that used Seinfeldian phrases in everyday speech. Words like “re-gift” and “close talker” caught on. It was a joy to see my uncle as a Seinfeld superfan, an unexpected surprise. He even combined his hi-fi tech skills with his TV show cataloging skills and set up a program to automatically download shows not already in his library. I can’t decide which part of him worked harder at organizing that software, Seinfeld fan guy or techy genius guy.

 It’s impossible not to appreciate someone who perfects a craft or who takes pleasure in learning something new. That enthusiasm for learning and crafting, tinkering and toying sums up Eldon. Business types have a term for people who blaze a trail in new technology and push forward through research. They call them Early Adopters. I remember him explaining how he learned the basic code that Benson Stone used for rudimentary functions (remember mid 80’s). He told me he analyzed the dots on the printed pages and used trial and error to learn a handful of strokes and functions. From there he built on the little code he knew to adapt more and take on larger projects. I was impressed, but also a little disappointed because I realized I would never go to that much trouble. It wasn’t trouble to him though. He enjoyed the messy process that a lot of us simply hate. 

My uncle the Early Adopter.

As Christians we understand the glorious future that awaits while hoping for extended time with loved ones and praying for it desperately. My uncle was certainly a loving husband and father who raised his kids in line with the scriptures. The uncle I saw though was a quiet self-made type who was a gifted musician and appreciated quirky humor.

God be with his family in this tough time.