Johnnie Franklin Asher
Rest in peace.
My uncle is dead. I've repeated that to myself so many times today you'd think that I could believe it. But I don't. People in our family don't die. He was the youngest of my grandparents' children, only 48. Always the one with a joke filled with dry humor or a funny face during thanksgiving dinner.
Forgive me if I take a quote from the Two Towers, after seeing my grandparents:
No parent should have to bury their child.
He was there and then he wasn't. He was never fine, after the pancreatic islet cell cancer was diagnosed, but he wasn't gone. He was still joking about how horrible the food was at the hospital and as soon as he got off the clear liquid diet he wanted some strawberries and cream Edy's ice cream with some Famous Amos cookies. I asked him which kind and he said, oh, get 'em all.
Into the West made me cry.
Lay down
Your sweet and weary head
The night is falling
You have come to journey's end
Sleep now
And dream of the ones who came before
They are calling
From across the distant shore
Why do you weep?
What are these tears upon your face?
Soon you will see
All of your fears will pass away
Safe in my arms
You're only sleeping
What can you see
On the horizon?
Why do the white gulls call?
Across the sea
A pale moon rises
The ships have come to carry you home
And all will turn
To silver glass
A light on the water
All Souls pass
Hope fades
Into the world of night
Through shadows falling
Out of memory and time
Don't say
We have come now to the end
White shores are calling
You and I will meet again
And you'll be here in my arms
Just sleeping
Chorus
And all will turn
To silver glass
A light on the water
Grey ships pass
Into the West
I'm so silly, aren't I? And yet again, I don't seem to have tears. Why don't I believe it? I felt for sure that he would wake up and say, ha, it's all a joke. He had the equivalent of nearly three people's blood in him sunday/monday night alone.
They're going to donate his corneas. Someone else will be able to see because of him.
*bawl*
Thank you for the hugs and well wishes. It means more than you know.
Say a prayer for Aunt Roberta and Nick for me. And Grandma and Grandpa, and Mom and Aunt Carol...he affected so many lives. Keep watch over us, ok? we love you, we miss you.
