"Cherish This Life"
We recently lost someone very special to us. My Father-in-Law, Mikey, was Italian, to the core. He grew up in North Denver, in what was known as little Italy. He worked at an Italian Bakery for much of his life and he fought in WWII, in Normandy. He knew the Italian Mob Bosses in Denver, worked hard to raise his family, and he loved to gamble in Vegas. He was pretty good at it too. He also loved to go dancing. He went dancing almost every Saturday night up until about 4 months ago.
There was just no question where you stood with Mikey. My husband has commented so many times about what a great role model he was. I believe it because my husband is a great man. Mikey took me into the family just like a daughter and I loved him. We have so many great memories of him and walking through life with him. I am grateful.
Mikey would always tell us, "Everybody's got to go sometime, no one gets out of it". After witnessing this illness, I know that Mikey is happy to be free and he's happy to be gone. He told us as much when is was still here. We are going through so many conflicting emotions. We are glad he is not in pain anymore and not struggling to fight, although he fought with everything he had. At the same time, selfishly, we feel sorry for ourselves. We miss him. We miss his huge smile, quick wit, and easy laugh. We already miss not being able to pick up the phone and call him. And we love him, much more than words can say.
I know if we could talk to him again, he would tell us to live this life and appreciate it, because it is short. As I've said before, this life is just a whisper of time. So this is for you, Mikey, for a life well-lived and well-loved...we will cherish you and the life you lived forever.
This piece was created as a reminder to "Cherish This Life". It was done with many layers of paint, inks, and painted paper. The heart in the middle was cut from a vintage ceiling tile. When the light catches it, you can see the hints of iridescent gold paint sprinkled throughout the painting. The words, "Cherish This Life" are embedded into the painting. It is framed in a gold and black floater frame.
Comments
Post a Comment