Uncle Fred

This summer visiting Michigan was different because my grandma wasn't there. One of the highlights of Michigan has always been visiting my great uncle Fred's house, which is a beautiful and picturesque place. Uncle Fred is my grandma's brother and he is now 90 years old.

Uncle Fred is another one of those people that you can't help but love. He is kind, gentle, and generous. Everybody loves Fred. I know that he has made a difference to so many people. My grandma never spoke an ill word of her brother, well except when he would get cranky with her for trying to rearrange his furniture. He was that person in her life who helped her through some really, really hard times.

We spent the day at his house this summer and watched the fireworks from his deck. Unfortunately I was battling bronchitis and didn't feel like my normal self. It was a big crowd and I spent half the day sleeping in his basement. I was sad when we left because I didn't really get to spent too much time with Uncle Fred. But luckily, Nick and Ruby and I were able to go back a couple days later when driving Ryan to the port. It turned out to be a really special day and one that I wont forget.

Ruby took to Fred like bees take to honey. She was so happy crawling all over him. I couldn't help but think about how much Mimi would have LOVED witnessing this. We just planned to stay about ah hour but then we went to lunch and then he drove us all around the area he lives, showing us different people's homes and even the place his parents (my great-grandparents) honeymooned when they first got married. When we got back, we looked through old photos together, and we talked about Mimi. He told me how much she loved me. I already knew that, of course, but it was nice to hear that other people knew that too. It is still hard to talk about her without tearing up, and I think the same is true for him.

I am always grateful for my Uncle. I was especially grateful that we had this time together this summer. Being with him made me feel the presence of my grandma.