Uncle Gary

I know I am insanely overdue for a post. I have a lot to tell, Thanksgiving was a good one this year and an anniversary of sorts...but this is not the time for that. I have a story that I need to share. It's maybe, to you not a very good story. One might find it mean or stupid. But it has a lot of meaning to me and I need to share it.

I started "seeing" my husband back in 1996. Our families had "history" and neither one of us was serious about the other at this point nor did we feel it necessary to share our relationship with our families. But in November 1997 Brian and I defined our relationship as a relationship and went public with our families. Not as dramatic or eventful as I may have lead you to believe here, but... I was none-the-less nervous. Christmas 1997 was to be held at Brian's parents home. Every year the Hurley clan gets (got) together for Christmas Eve and they rotate homes. Christmas Eve would be the first time I met Brian's parents, let alone the extended family. I come from a big, sarcastic, Irish-Catholic family. Brian comes from a big, sarcastic, Irish-Catholic family. I knew his uncles before I even met them, they are my uncles. I arrived like any good New Englander would, with gift in hand for the hostess. I baked Christmas cookies for the party. I, in my haste or nervousness, over baked a batch of cookies. They happened to be bells and I happened to have frosted them blue. Gary and David, Brian's uncles, jumped right on that! To this day have not lived down the "Burnt Bells". At some point, not long after meeting the family I did or said something to put me in the cross-hairs of Uncle Gary. Whatever it was Uncle Gary bellowed out "O'Connell - Go stand in the snow in your socks!" He meant it! Seriously, and his nieces and nephews did it! I of course laughed it off and refused and Brian was sent to the snow in his socks for me... But for as long as I live I will never forget that. Uncle Gary made meeting Brian's family for the for the first time - comfortable. Uncle Gary and Uncle David made me feel like one of the family from that point on. Never cutting me any slack for being a stranger or girl or and O'Connell. Most definitely never cutting me any slack for being an O'Connell, but in my weird, big, sarcastic, Irish-Catholic family, I am not sure I would have known how to react to genuinely nice. Sarcastic was right up my alley. I knew it came from a good place and later from love.

Uncle Gary lost his battle with cancer this evening.

Rest In Peace Uncle Gary. I promise to stand in the snow, in my socks this winter in your honor. Thank you for making my entrance into the Hurley family a memorable one.