Eddie

It is both with a heavy heart and an optimism I write today.
Yesterday started as many days do.  We had things we wanted to get done.  We are rearranging the “shed” big time.  The library is going and we will keep one bookcase which will be for our books and for reference books we have in a separate bookcase.
For my birthday coming up I will get a clear bookcase to display my stamps.  It will go in the shed as I tend to do all my work in it these days.
Then mid afternoon I received a phone call.  It was the daughter of our sax player saying he was in hospital dying and it was unknown if he would last to the morning.  Merril and I visited in the evening, and he was totally out of it and it is doubtful he even knew we were there.
For our last jam I had a feeling it would be our last.  I encouraged past participants to attend.  It turned out that was the way it was.  Since then, one (Eddie) had a stroke and one had a heart attack.
Some of the best memories of my life were associated with that group of musicians.  We loved getting together to play.  A number of others came to sing.
Eddie was a sax player extraordinaire.  His daughter told me when I visited yesterday that even after his stroke, he would sit on park benches playing the sax.  The daughter would find him with a group of people gathered around him clapping along to his playing. 
That does not surprise me.  When we had jams, I loved throwing to him with a “just the saxophone player” and he would be the lead instrument while we played along.  It just sounded beautiful.
For sure I will miss Eddie though I know we have not said “good bye” but just “so long.”   We will jam again without time constraints.  In the mean time I will miss him and thank him for his love and a life well lived.