Jim's Birthday

Yesterday, the 6th, was my dads birthday.  He would have been 58.  My Uncle Jerry, Jim's brother, wrote this wonderful email that I wanted to share. 

Dear family and friends,

Today is brother Jim's BD.

After wanting him to come down for 30 years, He is finally here, and on his birthday, too.

I am going to bring Jim's ashes back to Oregon. I was planning to take his ashes to Big Sur, but that didn't feel right, "I felt a tremor in the force".

While driving to a my mens' group meeting last Monday night, a picture flashed in my mind. It was one of the pictures playing on the video loop during Jim's remembrance.

It was of a woodland place with a waterfall. Jim appeared to be happy there.  When I brought that image to mind, I had a feeling of peace. There is where I think Jim would be content.

I am back at work at Disney for about a month. I'll be up in Oregon sometime in July, or early August. Alice {one of Jim's great friends from work at KTVL} will have to show me where that waterfall is. I'll do my fair well to Jim there.

For the time being, he'll just have to be patient.

I toasted Jim with a swig of Rock Star, his drink of choice. Yuck. I don't see how the guy could take that stuff.

I wish him, and all of us, peace and happiness.

Thanks,
Jerry

God is GOOD!

With the chip in Carson's tooth, we knew a visit to the dentist would be happening at some point this week.  The dentist office we go to has two times during the day for emergencies, or situations like ours.  8am or 2pm.  You go to the office, wait, and hope to get seen at some point soon.  I thought 8am would be a little better, hoping the doctors wouldn't be too far behind that early in the day. 

My mom is in Minnesota this week with my Grandma visiting family and friends, so her regular Wednesday off wouldn't be happening, which meant I had to find somewhere for Finn and Gabe to be while I took Carson to Medford to see the dentist.  I also had to go to the lawyers office and sign something for the court. 

Yesterday, I got my dad's 1st piece of forwarded mail in the mail.  It was something very important that I was needing to fill out, get notarized, and faxed back to the company.  I also had to fax something else to a different company in regards to my dad's estate.  Since I had to go to the lawyers office, I thought I could have them notarize the one, and fax both sets of papers to the different companies.  It worked out perfectly!  I was so thankful to the Lord, for the perfect timing. 

I was told by Heidi and my mom to breath and everything will work out.  I was worried about how to get all of this done and find the info I needed to get to the right people.  I worried about it in my sleep and was stressing out about it.  And there wasn't any need to do that.  God, once again, guided me and helped me in this crazy busy time of my life!  Yay!

Not only that, but Carson, Gabe and I got to talk to our friends in Romania!  Leah and Andrew are so loved by us and it is so great to be able to see them.  It isn't as great as playing "What time is it, Mr. Wolf?" with them in the open space, but for now it will have to do!

Carson at the dentist getting tested to see if there is nerve damage to his cracked tooth!  Looks like there wasn't any damage!  Praise the Lord!

We go back to the dentist at the beginning of July to get a filling.  So happy that it isn't too serious!

Uncle Jerry, Sis and I

Getting to Know You

Through this whole process with Jim dieing, I have been able to get to know him a bit.  There are different bits and pieces that after 33 years I am able to collect. 

One of them is the food items he had in his apartment.  Sounds kind of weird, I know, but remember this is my "dad" who I didn't know.  It is kind of interesting to me!  :) 
Sharp cheddar cheese,
milk,
eggs,
coke,
rock star,
bread,
Mac and Cheese in the freezer,
cereal,
cans of soup,
baked beans,
and ice cream.

Papers.  Another way of getting to know someone.  What kind of papers do you have filed away?  In your desk?  Or shoved in your closet?  He didn't have a ton of papers.  He had a couple of cards and letters from my Sis, and then one from me.  He had the basic bills and money order receipts for rent, car insurance, the phone bill and that is about it.

Clothing.  Jim had about 6 pairs of Levi's 501 button fly jeans.  A couple pairs of shorts, a couple pairs of shoes, navy blue/black socks, navy blue/black or white plain t-shirts, a couple of hats and sweatshirts.  He had 3 pairs of really nice leather shoes, Dr. Martens, and pair of boots like Dr. Martens but a different brand and a cow-boyish pair of boots.  Lovely lovely items, that I don't think he wore.  Some ties, one still with a tag from Goodwill on it.  He didn't have a dresser.  Just a bunch of hangers and a little plastic storage case for his clothing.

He liked old things.  He had some old guitar music books, old books, even a couple of old cute framed cow-boyish pictures, and his huge passion was bikes.  He loved Schwinn bikes.  From what I have heard, almost everyone at his work KTVL channel 10, had gotten one from him.  He loved to build these old cruisers up and give them to his co-workers friends.  I have ridden two of the ones he had in his apartment since he passed and they are so neat!  Really really neat.  Big, smooth, cruisers.  :)  Very different from my bike with pulling Gabe and Finn behind me.    

There is more, but this tired brain of mine is having a hard time thinking.  So, I will leave it at that for now.  It is really pretty neat being able to get to know him without the issues.  Just Jim.  Who "Jimmy" was to his friends at the station, and who he was to the stores (pawn shops, bike shops) he would frequent.  A past co-worker from 18 yrs ago came down from northern Oregon to come to his "remembering Jim Parra" service.  Pretty neat to hear about the impact he made in these peoples lives.  I just wish he would have been able to see what he had, and see how loved he was.  I wish he would have been able to let people in.

For You

Thank you for loving me

Your own Special Way.

I pray you new how loved

You were by Someone Greater

Than I.  He loved you so,

That He gave you His Son.

Thank you for Giving me

Two gifts to stay and to

Remember you by.

And for this I will always

Be Great full.

Jim with one of his bikes. 

Indy (my youngest sister-one of the gifts left).

My sis, Zapata (another gift left) and our Uncle Jerry (a new relationship).

I was up a lot of the night that I found out my dad passed away.  I have heard that during the night is the most creative times in our lives.  And the above little poem was written during that night.  May 10th/May 11th.