This summer sucked. R.I.P Blaire Newton

August is over and we are into September. What was a great Spring rapidly turned into a really crappy Summer. The entire month of July was cold, and I spent it looking forward to the trip on Israel for Wade's Bar Mitzvah at the end of August. We got to Israel with only a minor bit of butt pain from sitting so long, dropped the bags off in the one of our 2 hotel rooms that was ready at the Inbal in Jerusalem, did some walking and shopping, bought my kids their first Felafel, met up with my in-laws at the pool, went upstairs to get ready for dinner and to meet up with the tour group when it all came crashing down - my brother-in-law Blaire had died suddenly during our flight over.

We re-booked our flights home, but none were available for abut 36 hours. While Blaire's death is tragic and what it has done to the family, and especially my sister-in-law is sad beyond description, what I will remember for the rest of my life is my son Wade lying on his bed and the look on his face. When we were shopping he bought a kippah that fit him nicely and he truly seemed to feel at home there, seemly as I felt the first time I was there. Now to have it all taken away, along with his Uncle just a few hours after it started.

I myself fell into quite a depression for a couple of weeks. Taking a trip to a water park with my kids, my nephew, his cousin, my cousin's sone and assorted friends, friend's kids the and kids' friends really helped pick up my spirits though. The renaissance faire helped a bit too, although a cannot go there without remembering Blaire and his costume those few years ago when we all used to go camping together for the weekend and go the to the faire for two days, falling asleep in front of the fire at the campground.

To my kids that seems so long ago, but as accumulated memories invariably accelerate subjective time, it seems relatively recent to me.