Wally Turnbull

June 2009 is finished today and I am glad.  The month began with my entering another decade of life.  That was not so bad though it was as we used to say in the sixties “heavy man, heavy.”

Things quickly went downhill from there when Ross, my favorite uncle, died.  OK, so he was the only uncle I had left but he was still my favorite.  The drive to Alabama was long but good. My parents went with Betty and me so we enjoyed talking.  Our time with the extended family was special.  I did notice that everyone else seems to have gotten older and the kids now have children of their own.  What’s with that?

My suit was no sooner back from the cleaners when we received news that Bob had died.  Bob was a cousin but older so we called him “Uncle Bob.”  Given the importance of the name to our family I reckon that most Turnbulls have an Uncle Bob.  Well, I’ll have you know that this Bob was Robert Bruce Turnbull.  Bob was a man of God.  Now he is a man with God.  Bob’s son Bobby my childhood friend is now Dr. Robert B. Turnbull, an old man with grey hair (sorry Bobby).  Though the occasion was sad the event and time together were very happy.

Now, we have just received word that a close friend has died in Miami.  We’ll be on the road again tomorrow for a long drive to Reynold’s funeral and a close moment with dear friends.

Losing loved ones has a way of reminding us of the importance of keeping first things first and of the precious brevity of life.  The trick, of course, is not to let the mundane details of daily life blur that focus once things return to normal. On the other hand I hope things will be normal for a while.  But then there is that monument thing in two weeks - www.turnbullclan.com ...