James Wiseman, Big Jim, Uncle Jimmy

All names belonging to one man

One man who none of us will call to again

Those names are memories now

Only to be used while reminiscing

Or to call out when we need guidance from above

No more hugs, no more kisses

The man who always had a smile

The man who never got angry

The man who you could always count on for a sports discussion

Or who could out drink his twenty-something year old nephews

Cane and all

He’s gone now

My mother’s last brother

The last of three

My last Wiseman Uncle

The one you could always count on to call during the holidays

No matter how insignificant they seemed

The one who always made jokes funnier

Just because he starts to laugh along

As I lie here, thinking back on my first day without him in the world

I start to think of so many regrets

I feel as if I didn’t spend much time with him

Like I didn’t visit him enough until it was too late

I feel like I didn’t even really know him until these past few years

He has always been Uncle Jimmy, the one who always looked so happy to see you

But all of the sudden he became something more

He became a friend, someone you enjoyed talking to

I learned we shared the same favorite snack growing up

Crackers and cream cheese, of course

As I grew older I was able to see more of who he really was

I was so happy to be able to do this, to meet him all over again

But my time was cut short, and I’ve had my last chance to talk to him

Right then, it seemed like such a meaningless conversation

He asked how school was, always remembering what grade I was in

Then he asked about my siblings, what they were doing and such

And then we started talking about football

I’ve never really like the sport, and so I told him as much

He laughed at this, falling in and out of sleep, wondering why

I didn’t really have a good answer for that

It went too quick; there just wasn’t anything interesting about it

Those were my usual replies, but right then I just felt as if they wouldn’t suffice

So instead I talked about the score, how I had always thought it went by sevens or sixes

The score was currently 13 to 11, Eagles winning of course

I was confused as to how it was possible

He laughed again and, along with my dad explained how it was possible

Turns out touchdowns weren’t the only ways to score

Noticing my confusion he asked a different question, switching the topic slightly

Since I didn’t like football that much, he wanted to know what sports I did

Then we started talking about Baseball, the sport that has always been my favorite

Finally, the game was over and I felt wiser, knowing more than I had before

We had to leave then

Shopping to do, dinner to make, a party to go to, so many things to do

So, I gave him a kiss good bye and promised him I would watch the next one with him

I told him he had to teach me more

I told him that perhaps he could convert me to being a football fan after all

He laughed again

An hour later, standing besides his still form, I realized it would be one of his last

My world crashed around me and everything just closed up

I was lost, adrift at sea and I couldn’t find my way

He was gone forever

My quest to learn more about my Uncle Jimmy was abruptly ended

It wasn’t till later on, back at my house, that I came to a second realization

Standing around our kitchen, we were trying to keep each other sane

Georgie, Philip, Paula, my cousin Jimmy, and I

Georgie and Jimmy, not so little anymore, were leading the conversation

They were swapping stories, pausing now and then so everyone could comfort each other

No matter how many times we reminded ourselves he would want us happy

No matter how much we tried to keep laughing

It just wasn’t working

But their stories, always getting a mixture of laughter and tears, taught me something

I could still learn about Uncle Jimmy

There were countless stories I hadn’t heard before

Each one of them could teach me something new

I truly realized the purpose of family that night

They are there to remind you of those who have passed

They were there to cling to those memories with you

They are there to help you get to know others long after they’re gone

They are there to teach you, to help you, to keep you strong

They are there to keep loved ones alive, to give them immortality

So really, Uncle Jimmy isn’t dead

He isn’t gone; he hasn’t moved on, he won’t leave

Inside of each of us are memories, stories, and pieces of Uncle Jimmy

And as long as we remember, as long as we share our stories

Uncle Jimmy will never die, but live on forever

James Wiseman, Big Jim, Uncle Jimmy

The man who will never die

--Stephanie Marie Celeste Heinz