Subject: Hopefully...
Date: Sat, 15 Mar 1997Family Family Family:
Hopefully, EVERYONE is rallying to support of Brother (Uncle, nephew, friend,or whatever) Peter.
Hopefully, some of you have chosen to be more private at a time like this, but none-the-less has, or are about to write or call my Brother Peter. His ordeal is not a polio shot but a very serious undertaking.
Hopefully, you have taken, (or will take) the time to dig deep inside your heart and soul and let this special man, that God has blessed us with know that everyone is behind him in their prayers.
Hopefully, when Peter rides down that hallway into surgery he will know that EVERYONE in the family is spiritually holding his hand.
Over the years I have (like many of you) wished that I had taken the time to do something without regret. I have voluntarily restricted myself e-mailing all of the family from getting my e-mail messages. Perhaps you will cc this e-mail to the chosen ones. Peter is the common denominator of all that know him. Let us ALL rally as a family now.
Over the years I have picked up on one thing about Pete. He never ask anything of anyone. Let me do the asking. Tell him how important he has been to you.
Over the years I have learned that when a boxer sees a punch coming he puts up his guard. Unlike Brother Pete, who chooses to find his protection in moving out of harms way. His choice of living has been one of blending in with the peace that some of us find so hard to enjoy. Peace and harmony cannot be forced or demanded, it must come about in a softer quieter way. Peter's chosen defenses during his life has been perfected in a softer quieter way.
Subject: Cameron Rd back in 54
Date: Sun, 16 Mar 1997Cameron Rd back in 54
God sent us a new baby that summer. I was so surprised and happy when Peter moved in. I was ten years old and was having a fun summer. We lived in a tiny Cape Cod style house on an old country road. All of us kids slept upstairs. Milly and Angie had one bedroom and Frankie and I shared the other. Peter was the fifth child in our family. He slept in Mammy and Pappy's bedroom downstairs. His crib was right next to the door and it was easy to hear him cry. Apparently because we were all within a few years of each other, that having a new baby brother was really special.
I did not know much about babies back then. This is the first time I got to see how you feed and change them, and all that stuff. Peter had fine thick baby hair that all fell out. Later "grown up" hair grew in. One of my favorite things was to count his fingers and toes. Sometimes I would put him in Mammy's bed so I could lay next to him. I would just stare at him and feel the soft spot on his head. Mammy told me never to press really hard, cause I could squish his brains. I never knew that babies cried so much. I remember Peter crying out day and night for the first six months of his life. I thought that was unusual, and always asked Mammy why Peter cried so much. It made me very sad, and I would pray for Peter when I laid down next to him every day. One day he seemed like he was in more pain then I ever noticed before. It really scared me. I decided while praying, that if I held Peter's hands and closed my eyes' tight that somehow God could transfer some of that pain to me, so that Peter would be okay. Well, I never felt any pain from the idea, but maybe what was transferred was my strength to help him endure.
As I look back now, I believe that I finally figured out the reason for all of the crying. I believe that Peter's body was trying to make his heart pump better. His body must have struggled, and feverously worked out a plan with his brain to survive. When you stop and think about it, x-ray machines were the only real technology back in the Fifties. No high tech detectors in those days. I seemed like everybody was dying of heart problems. Who knew that forty two years later that the cause of all that pain and agony that Peter suffered was because he had a dysfunctional pumper.
Peter, during your surgery I will be praying, spiritually holding your hands, and squeezing my eyes tight. This time instead of asking God to transfer your heart to me, I will just ask him to give you all of my strength.
Brother Bud
Fort Meyers, FL
seaam@peganet.com