Sad Weekend

Tom and I flew to San Diego this past weekend for a party that my parents, together with my great aunt and uncle, Don and Daryl, throw every few years.  We had a great time at the party on Friday night.  Saturday we stopped over to Don and Daryl's to return some items from the party and visited with them for a while.  After we left, Don sat down to read for a bit, fell asleep, and never woke up.  Daryl tried to wake him for dinner, but he had passed away.  We are so sad and devastated by this.  Don had had some serious medical issues, but it seemed like he was doing much better and gave no indication he wasn't feeling well.  We had a fun visit with him on Saturday and he was in good spirits.  This has come as a huge shock to the family.

I have so many memories of Don, all the way from their home in Washington DC, and being a flower girl in their daughter's wedding 25ish years ago, through to dancing with him at my own wedding this past summer.  Don had been in a wheelchair and I kept telling him I was going to dance with him at my wedding.  He would laugh at me like I was a crazy person, but as he recovered his strength and ability to walk, I became more and more insistent that we would, indeed, have that dance.  At the wedding, Don asked me to dance and we had a wonderful time of it!  It meant so much to me.

I know it will take more time for it to sink in that Don is gone.  He led a fascinating and exciting life and I am sad it was cut short all too soon.