Today, I received news that the person who helped both of my parents in Florida before they died himself died of complications to COVID. In many ways, I am taking this harder than I did the loss of my father. Dad was a complicated man, and stubborn to boot. Mom ignored the warning signs herself. But without Paul, I am not sure how I would have handled the situation. And Paul deserved better than to die to COVID in a hospital in isolation.
He was my eyes and ears while I was in NY making a living to be able to afford to help my parents, misgivings aside. In many ways, his decisions led to the unfortunate set of circumstances that took him away from this world before his time had come. He was good-hearted and sought to help others. And I mourn now for his family who lost him.
Paul helped my parents without any guarantee or promise of benefit. He did it because it was the right thing to do, and he never asked for payment. It is this selfless commitment to someone I hardly knew to help my parents that I will always appreciate. I am sad about his passing because Paul deserved better. He was one of the good ones, a person who did what is right and didn’t ask what was in it for him.
This post is to honor someone to whom I owe a debt, and I just hope that I am able to repay it to his family in a way that honors the help he gave to my parents. Even if they didn’t appreciate the jester at times, I do. He was a rare human being, and I hope I can honor his memory.
Thank you Paul, my complicated relationship with my parents aside, I owe you a debt. I will do my best to honor it.
Thank you, Paul. I hope to do my small part to help your family as you helped mine. I will not forget.
Life Love and Loss 