Pete,
I hope you know and feel how much everyone is thinking of you. A lot of memories have come to mind of late. Some of us have been most grateful for videotapes we have re-discovered which show you at your best, showing us all how to live. It is so often that I think of you and how different it would have been if you had come back to Tidewater VA where you could make us all smile. When I listen to Larry Joe Taylor, I think of you--partly because of the times we shared listening to him and to some extent, because he sings of things that remind me of you ("when men were made of steel, and boats were made of wood"). Every helicopter I will ever see will remind me of you, and though they evoke sadness, I am proud of you for mastering them. I find myself often telling nearly complete strangers about you. Somehow that helps. Larry Joe's wife, Sherri, once wrote: "The road doesn't go on forever... the party does end... so, you have to sing like you don't need the money... dance like nobody's watching... love like you've never been hurt; because livin' ain't livin' unless you feel like you won." As much as we miss you, we have great memories of you and you are a winner.
I never knew how difficult today would be, but how enjoyable it is to look back at all of the pictures and remember Pete. One of the best times with Pete was at John and Terry's wedding; I find myself chuckling just looking at the pictures (I'd love to see the video) from that day. This has been a difficult year, and the only good thing that has come from it for me has been the birth of my son, Graden, whose arrival I learned of on the Monday after Pete's funeral service. I often considered using Pete's name in some way for my son, but thought that noone could fill his shoes--what a great person, and cousin, he was and I will truly miss him!
Pete,
A year and a day ago, I certainly never would have thought I'd spend today sitting beside your grave trying to explain to my daughter how we can be so sad,yet still be celebrating. We shed a lot of tears but also some laughter; I got tell her what a great person you were. I got to share some funny stories and some of the wisdom I gained from how you lived your life. We talked of the importance of family and friends -- of how we need to let the ones we love know how we feel about them. We talked about how we need to reach out and really listen to people -- even those we don't even know, there's so much to be learned. You had such a gift for making everyone feel important. We talked of how we need to really live life and make each day count. When we placed some flowers beside you stone, I told Ginny there were some wild flowers mixed in -- it only seemed appropriate. We also talked of how you're in heaven with God. Ginny kept reminding me how I would see you again--what a comfort that is!
This year has been hard on a great many people; I doubt there's a one of us who would trade any of the time we had with you. Thank you for the memories, the wisdom, the inspiration, and for being such a wonderful cousin. We love you Pete!
