MOC4 Day 20 - The Numbers
Credits: Background by Quirky Hearts - M3 August 2015. Elements from M3 August 2015, M3 October 2015, M3 January 2016, Little Butterfly Wings - Lean on Me. Fonts are Celtic Garamond and MoolBoran.
The journaling reads:
It was a quiet Sunday morning, January 15, 2012. I was sipping my tea and John was still sleeping.
And then came the dreaded phone call at 8:22 a.m. It was Margaret, she was not too coherent.
When she composed herself, she told me that Matt had died, and I said we'd be right over.
I ran upstairs, got John, and we put some clothes on and off we went. We were there at 8:37,
along with 6 or 7 police cars, an ambulance, etc., but it was too late - you were gone.
I remember first meeting you back in 1973.
You were just a little guy, blonde tousled hair, twinkling eyes
and a mischievous grin that you maintained your entire life.
John & I took you shopping that weekend,
all of us crammed into the front seat of the Triumph, a 1960 TR3A.
You were infatuated with me then, and in later years, you would call to talk with me,
not necessarily with your brother.
For your 50th birthday, John & I stopped over to give you a few presents;
one of them was a digital layout I had made and framed for you.
It was an extracted baby photo of you, cradled in an overturned umbrella.
I had placed an element of a clock on it, the hands told the time of 8:22.
I titled the layout “Almost Autumn”, since you was born on September 16th.
You asked about the significance of the clock and the time.
I shrugged it off, said that there was no meaning to it other than it came with the element.
Little did I know that 4 months later, this would be the time of the dreaded phone call.
Why did this have to happen? What could we have done to prevent your death?
You had been in pain for several years. You had multiple surgeries, but nothing seemed to help.
Did your body just give out, or had you experienced enough of life?
Fast forward a few years, to October 2015.
Your mother decided it was time to move on, she needed to say goodbye to her baby boy.
So she rallied the family together, and we buried your ashes
at the base of a lovely Japanese maple in the front yard.
It was Halloween, October 31, the Day of the Dead,
a day to pay homage to those who have passed.
I did another layout for you that day.
You were front and center wearing your blue-blocker sunglasses, in full color.
Behind you stood both sets of grandparents, your father and two of your aunts,
those who, I am sure, joined you once you crossed over.
At your burial, your brothers and sisters were able to tell you once again
how much they missed you, how much they loved you.
Your headstone was a simple brick that one of your brothers found at an antique store.
It was imprinted “MBC”, your initials.
After just a bit of searching I also found out that it stood for Malden Brick Company,
based out of Malden, New York.
You would have liked that, being the collector you were.
We all think of you often, think of how our lives were touched by you,
think of what would have happened if you'd still be around today.
