When my nephew Wes began his transition several years ago, my concern was that he wouldn't be able to have kids. To me, this would be tragic, as my kids bring me the most joy and are the proudest accomplishment of my life. Not everyone has kids and not everyone wants them but to make such a decision at a very young age seemed harsh to me.
I knew none of it was any of my business but you can't help but worry about the people you love; it's what you do.
Turns out there was nothing to worry about. Wes married Gus a few years ago and this week they welcomed their son into the world! I've only seen pictures so far but he looks big, strong and beautiful.
His Grandpa showed me the pictures at Sully's funeral.
Sully (Tom) was one of the kids who grew up on Jay's block. A year younger than Jay, they'd known each other for over 50 years and been close friends for the last 25. They met for coffee two or three times a month to solve all the world's problems. Sully had suffered from some cardiac issues the last few years so while his death was sudden, it wasn't completely unexpected. Sully owned and operated the 400 bar at Seven Corners until it closed a few years back. It was there that I got to meet Roger Clyne, when Sully invited us to the sound check before the show. Sully gave Zack his first gig.
We'll miss him.
Connor is one of Jay's former players from UST. The wedding was at a place down by the river, at St. Anthony Main, called Machine Shop. It was a glorious Friday evening; warm, clear and still feeling like high summer. We parked on the river road and walked a block or two to the ancient stone warehouse that has been redone as a beautiful event venue. We were surrounded by players the moment we walked in the place. We ended up sitting right behind the entire 2016 National Championship team. They seem much taller in real life than they did on the basketball court. And they all looked smashing in their suits and ties!
I didn't get a look at the bride until half way through the reception.
Our friends, JT and his girlfriend C were there. C is battling cancer and has spent the summer going through chemo. I hadn't seen her since her ordeal began. She looked gorgeous and healthy and I told her so.
"Thank you!" she grinned. "I put on hair!"
We had a great time and met some really interesting people. We stayed long enough to dance. On the floor, I watched some of the young people dancing (to Earth Wind and Fire) and I thought "I used to be able to dance like that; I could do all those moves. Now just swaying back and forth will leave me stiff in the morning."
It was really fun.
Saturday was another hot, clear day. Septemberfest was going on at our parish, so we went on down in the early evening, planning to have a beer before going home to dinner. We ended up staying far longer than we'd planned because we kept running into friends!
The whole weekend was very hot; not just for mid September but for summer. It was over 90 both days. Monday dawned much cooler, which seemed appropriate for Sully's funeral. The service was very nice and there was a very strong contingent of old St. Thomas the Apostle families. Everyone wanted to know how my Dad was doing and Lo! there he was!
Heidi helped Mom bring Dad to the funeral. They had known Sully's whole family and had always liked him. When Jay first told Sully about Dad's fall, he had declared my father 'A Great American'.
R.I.P., Sully
The weather has taken an ugly turn. After that gorgeous, hot weekend, the wind kicked up, at the temps dropped and storms rolled in. It rained so hard here the other night that the porch ceiling leaked. It looks like this will be the second year in a row when my ash tree will lose all its leaves before they get a chance to change. That's a shame: it really flames up when it gets a chance.
I'm ready for a week in which nothing much happens. I miss my routine.