Garrison Keillor — 2003-08-19 20:20
Garrison is singing about the passing of dearly loved relatives, bringing tears of recognition and sadness to my heart & eyes. A minor melody moves memories — I think of one great uncle I just visited; his brother (my mother’s father) whose presence comes and goes behind the mists of Parkinsons; another great uncle who died two weeks ago, and who I last saw at the funeral of his brother (my father’s father); and of that dearly loved departed man, in whose company I walked, sat, drank tea, and talked about life. I miss them, or anticipate missing them, and think about what it must be like for my parents. I imagine watching my parents, their siblings, and all their spouses slowly pass away over a period of ten years or so, and I value all the more deeply those connections I have made with them. And when I think of my great-aunts and -uncles losing their siblings, I imagine losing my brothers, and I know their sadness must be profound and unfathomable.