Passing showers had dampened our way and tightly congested roadways had made the journey from the mountaintop to the rolling hills of Connecticut a tedious challenge. The patio and pool deck were abuzz with hugs, greetings and laughter as family and friends had gathered to celebrate family and commemorate the life of nephew Joey and support the foundation his father had founded in his memory that gives financial support to folks living with the challenges of cancer. Family from age one to 92 hovered securely beneath the canopies as the rain came down in virtual torrents. The joy of being together again in one place superseded any complaints about the weather as folks gathered closer to hear the challenges and victories experienced over the past year. As the sun shone brightly warming the freshly mowed greens at the golf club, the rain from the previous evening was but a faint memory overshadowed by the joy of family fun together. Hundreds of folks had gathered to support the foundation and honor the memory of Joey. The storms had passed and bright sunshine exposed nature’s bounty as the golf tournament was played, raffle tickets were sold, and food was shared with still more friends and relatives. The banquet that evening, though sumptuous, was incidental to the thrill of seeing the grant funds being given to those who needed the support that the memory of Joey had funded and to witness the grace and poise with which his dad both gave and received recognition for acts of love well executed. The joy of that day and the testimony of love and thankfulness for the value of life even in the presence of life threatening challenges allowed gratitude its ascent far above the aches and stiffness that accompany the unseemly diagnosis named Parkinson’s.
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