A treasured memory

It’s 1:00 a.m. on December 29, 2020 and so much has happened. The original plan was to come down to Florida to spend time with family for the new year. As we all know, nothing ever goes as planned. I drove straight through the night and switched out with about four hours left in the trip. Upon arrival I went to catch a snooze since I had no real sleep. I had not been down for an hour when my sister called. I figured she was just calling to ask when I was coming over to visit so I let it go. A couple minutes later I was told that I needed to call my sister as something was wrong with our Tio (Uncle.) I sat up, groggy, and called. My sister answered the phone and she had been crying. Our Tio Steve had passed away.

I headed over to my mom’s house and when I arrived, I hugged my sister Crystal and looked over to see my mom. She was sitting on the couch crying. I walked over and sat next to her. I held her tight and she cried hard. I held back my emotions to stay strong for her. As she spoke to me, I was also trying to think about every memory I had with my Tio Steve. The memories rushed in and out of my head and it was crazy to think that just a week or so ago I thought about him but more so as, “we will see each other again.” Now, I know that one day we will still see each other again, however, at this moment, he’s a memory. A memory I will always cherish but damn it, WHY!? He can’t be gone…

I snapped back as my mom told me that her dad, my grandpa came for my Tio Steve. It gave me goosebumps…

“Grandpa came for him Richie, I know it.”

“Why do you say that mom?”

“Today is Grandpa’s birthday and he always told us that we would know we were not alone, and I think that that is why he passed today. He didn’t want him to suffer anymore.”

It made sense and from what it looks like, they were the same age too. As I sit here typing this out, I think about how hard it has been, but I can’t even imagine what my Tia (Aunt) and my cousins are going through. A husband, father, and brother is gone and we are all left to comfort each other and allow his legacy to live on through the way he lived his life and our stories. My Tio Steve was an avid hunter and fisherman, a strong and loving family man, hardworking, and a craftsman. I spent a lot of time at his home when I was growing up because my cousin and I are around the same age. Almost every major holiday and cookout was spent at his home. I miss the family gatherings there. I have so many memories, but I will leave you with one.

I believe I was about 10 or 11 and I stayed the night with my cousin Steve. I remember playing video games, possibly Super Nintendo. We were up late and then up early for Saturday morning cartoons. Tio Steve called us outside and I remember it was very cold. I also remember seeing a deer hanging in the garage as hunting season had started. I had never been hunting before. It was something that I found interesting. That morning my Tio Steve got another deer and he wanted to do something with us. He had me put on my cousins hunting gear and he sat me in back of the deer with a rifle next to us as if we had done this together. I remember how happy he was to do it. I’m holding back my tears right now as I type this…

This is my most treasured memory of my Tio Steve. Again, there are many but this one is the one that will always be with me. You see, he didn’t have to do this. He didn’t have to dress us up and take pictures, but he wanted to give me this experience. I know I didn’t actually get that deer, but I loved the experience either way. I don’t know what happened to those pictures, but I hope to get a copy to frame. My Tio Steve introduced me to venison jerky too and one year he came to visit and told me he had something for me. I’ll never forget that day because he pulled out some Ziplock bags full of jerky. It was about three pounds worth and I destroyed it in just a few days.

The past couple of days have been surreal. I see my family posting on social media along with my cousin and my Tia posting and it’s heartbreaking. To think that my Tio Steve is gone is devastating but also hard to believe. The last time I spoke with him was at a family gathering here in Florida. The conversation was brief but always awesome to see and speak with him. There were a few times this past year where I wanted to reach out and say hello, but I put it off. Now I wish I would’ve just said hello. I wish I would not have waited but I can’t change that now. I love you Tio! I saw you like a second dad and you always treated me well. You will be missed, and I want to thank you for giving me that experience so many years ago. It’s something I will always remember and cherish. May you rest in peace and when we see each other again, maybe we can do some hunting and fishing. Until that day Tio, Godspeed…