Left – Luke, David and Ryan on a jet ski in Phuket, 2009. To those that have submitted comments, thanks so much for all of your participation in bringing this community together.
True to the sense of blogging, I’ve expressed the way I feel. In a way, this is a little journal for myself and those that that were close to the family, and even those that weren’t close, but feel with us. I’ve heard about the many stages of grief. Maybe I’m still at the beginning. Sometimes, I feel like it’s a little bit of the same, because we’re working through the pain, and certain themes keep coming back. First of all, for those that are close, it’s hard to accept. Second, it’s really sad. Third, it’s hard to understand how we’re not going to see them again. Sadly, I guess the passage of time is going to make that clear.
I write this as I listen to Tony Bennett and Bill Evans. Both have influenced me. For those that don’t know, I’m a singer. David led a busy life and he was never able to come up to the city to hear me sing. When I nearly stopped after 2008 (because I met my beautiful wife and got busy) he was sorry because I had been singing for a long time and he had never seen me sing live. David always had a lot going on. He frequently had to be at the shop to receive wetsuits or tanks in the evening, or he was out on a geology job – there was no way he could get away. He and the family had to make a lot of sacrifices this last June, but on June 18, 2011, which is 19 days before they died (and about 20 years after I started singing) David, DeDe, Luke and Ryan came out to hear me sing. My sister and her whole family were there as well.
It was so special, because David and his family had never seen me live, but for the first (and last time) they did that night. My sister made it a point to ask him to come, and afterwards he thanked her, and he said it was special to him and he was so glad he made the effort to come out. It was special to me too. More than anyone can imagine.
john,
i’m so happy for everyone that david and his family and cathryn and her family could come and enjoy your performance. thanks for sharing about that part of your life and how it’s interwoven with processing your loss.
whenever you’re ready to perform again, i’ll hope to get out and support you. i’m a big kcsm listener.
sarah
John,
Is there a way you can let those of us who are interested know when you might sing next? Maybe you’re not ready yet, but, singing has always helped me feel deeply and heal, so hopefully at some point it will be helpful to you to do some public singing.