I write this on the morning we lay my dear cousin to rest. I'm wondering what words I can put on these pages that can be sufficient to explain what Bill meant to his family and friends.
To me, Billy was the embodiment of FUN. I always knew that when I got together with Billy we'd have a good time no matter what we did. It didn't matter if we were picking rocks with Grandpa out in the field or building a fort together somewhere we weren't supposed to, it was ALWAYS fun when Bill was around.
Bill had a serious side, too, though. I don't know if he knew it, but he helped me so much during the times previous to and after the death of my father. He was always willing to spend time with me and make me smile. As adults we had many talks about dreams of families, travel, and troubles we were going through. Bill was a great listener and a great advice-giver with his simple, logical, no-nonsense ways.
Billy was also probably our family's biggest "helper." Need some wood cut? Need your garage roof patched? Need someone to go into the deep, dark, disgusting depths of your basement to take a look at the water softener or furnace? Need someone to help you move? Need someone to plow your driveway after a blizzard? Just call Wild Bill, the hearo to all widows and single young women all over the Detroit Lakes area. You just knew you could count on Bill to lend a helping hand.
Time is slipping away from me this morning and it's almost time for us to leave this drafty old farmhouse where I have so many memories of my buddy, Billy. I know that whenever I travel somewhere new, I'll take his memory with me. I know that every new experience, every move, every holiday, every loss, every joy, I'll wish that my Billy could be here to share it with us. He was my buddy, my pal, my confidant, and my big brother. My heart aches knowing that when I return to Minnesota again in December, his goofy grin won't be here to greet me.
Nonetheless, I know that will would have wanted all of us to carry on and live our lives and LOVE living like he did. Tuck those memories of our dear Bill somewhere safe inside of you and chuckle to yourself every time you get into a deer stand, every time you climb onto a snowmobile, and every time you light a firecracker. I think Bill would appreciate that.
Boodbye my dear friend, my buddy, my dear cousin. We all love you so much, and we'll NEVER forget. And, as Kenny Chesney would say..."I'll see you again someday..."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
He's been gone nearly a year. My heart and my mind can still barely fathom it. I still think "oh man...Bill would have a blast doing this with us!" I just miss him so much. I want just five more minutes with him....
He haunts me...