Wednesday, November 10, 2010

An Uncle


As usual I'm a little late. Thanks to my cousin Avril's FB post I suddenly realized than Monday was one year since my Uncle Gus passed away. It's hard to believe the time has gone so quickly. I think about Uncle Gus often. He was a larger than life kind of guy, always smiling and always with a twinkle in his blue blue eyes. I always see him sitting, years ago, on the couch in the flat in Schwartz street balancing a huge tower of ash on his Broadway 100 (he gave up years back). His vocabulary, a mix of Afrikaans and Yiddish, is an integral part of this family.

I found the picture above in my mom's picture cupboard in Houston. My dad is on the left and Uncle Gus on the right. I suppose that's my grandparents in between. The picture hangs here in my home office and I look at it every day. I believe this must be my parent's wedding. The picture is spotted and faded, but it perfectly captures a moment in time. The brothers were young and had the world before them, I wonder if they thought about the mark they would leave. I hope they realize the impact they had on all of us.

Friday will be his first great-grandchild's Brita, I'm sure Uncle Gus will be smiling happily.

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

Thanks so much cousin, I couldn't have said it better.Both your father and mine were quite extraordinary fellows, who were loved by all who had the privelage of knowing them. Only as we ourselves grow older do we realize how important our parents are to us, and how very very sad and difficult it is to live without them. "Long life" to all the Ostrin family. Avril.

greta said...

Always remembering Uncle Gus.
I love the old photo.
Yes that's the grandparents in the center, Judith (Judy was named after her) and Velvil(Vivienne was named after him.)

Anonymous said...

Is it privelage or privilege, sorry lost my touch , but anyway I hope they and you will forgive me. Avril