Monday, February 14, 2011
I've been up most of the night thinking about my brother Ed. When we were kids, and I still called him Eddie, he was the person I looked up to and loved the most. None of the bigger kids ever bullied me, because I had my big brother who always defended his kid sister. He taught me how to play stickball, and we spent a lot of time competing at Monopoly. He used to let me win at gin rummy, although I didn't know it until I was much older. All my friends had crushes on him, and my popularity at camp Delmar was due mostly to my being his sister. When we grew up I loved him for different reasons. He was the person who found something to like in everyone. He took people as they were, without needing them to change or be different. His quiet optimism was something the rest of us relied on; he was always willing to be the extra pair of hands to do a job for friends or neighbors. Ed was a nice man, in the truest sense of the word. Not complicated, he had simple values, and saw the world in the best light. He was devoted to his family, and delighted in every new grandchild that came his way. He got a lot of joy out of performing on stage; it was his way of sharing his own good feelings about life. I always used to tease him that he was Mom's favorite, and why not; he was my favorite too. Ed, you are my hero, and I will miss you. Goodbye, and bless you for a life well lived. Your Sister, Laurie
