You are gone, but never forgotten. Unfortunately, dear uncle, our encounters were few and far between. I am sorry that I didn't know you better, but you are blood kin, and I will never forget the few memories I have. I remember accompanying my parents before they split, and eventually divorced. The big round table and home-made benches- where the adults were always playing board games like Parcheesi. I guess I don't recall much of those specific memories, because I spent most of that time with Aunt Erika. She was always cooking these amazing authentic German foods, and it was my joy to help her. She cooked like she was serving a huge banquet, although it was supposed to keep the men (and, subsequently everyone else) fed. She always had so much pride in the recipes, almost as much as she took pleasure in watching everyone enjoying her meals. She patiently answered all of my never ending questions. I remember the boys stayed upstairs and I never was allowed up there, so I was really curious about why I wasn't, and what exactly was up there. I remember eating fruit from a tree out back, after playing outside in the sun,with my little sister, while adults played badminton or volleyball, and a huge hill between your house and Uncle Adolph's that we would race up and down, in an attempt to avoid the huge spiders and snakes, that were surely hiding amongst the overgrown grass and bushes,waiting to take a bite of our exposed skin, if we took too long. Sometimes risking it to pick one of the pretty wild flowers. The night was full of glowbugs, and the cacophony of crickets, and once the porch light was off, there wasn't any artificial lighting. It was pitch black, and I just prayed I fell asleep quickly because I was afraid of the dark. The stuff that looking back,I realize that I don't see or hear anything as peaceful and serene, living in the village. I remember there was always a sci-fi movie in the background (which probably contributed to my inner geek! Lol.) I'm a hundred percent sure it was the origin at the very least. I remember Aunt Erika had these enormous photo albums, and we would sit around them, and you would contribute to the stories she would tell about specific photos. Those are probably some of the few occasions I recall hearing your voice (not directed at a boardgame, or a player.) I guess most of my memory of you is more of an impression, but that doesn't mean that I don't feel your loss. Even if it's just an impression, my life is shaped by memories that I would never have had if you hadn't been a part of my life. Many of those very memories are some of very few that I treasure from my childhood. My hope is that you will be with Aunt Erika, Uncle Adolph, Uncle Joe,and the other loved ones that I wasn't fortunate enough to meet. I hope that with them and with God, your spirit is at peace greater than any we can know on Earth. I pray for my cousins, Joe, Ricky, Holly, Nicole - my Aunt Maria, that God help ease their grief,and surrounds him with his eternal comfort and love during this emotional time. That they may feel some solace in knowing that you you aren't truly gone, that you have been called to take your place in Heaven, where you will be surrounded by love, and though your physical presence no longer walks the Earth of our reality, your memory will always be kept alive in the hearts of all that loved you. This isn't goodbye, this is just until we meet again- I love you and please share my love with everyone else up there.