Dear Uncle Ron,

Dear Uncle Ron,

Do you remember the "Merry Christmas" golf tee? Do you remember we used to wrap multiple boxes using layers of duct tape? Boxes inside of boxes, each individually wrapped until the final box contained hundreds of packing peanuts, and a single golf tee inside the abyss that we would trade back and forth each Christmas. It was one of the highlights of the season to try and outdo the previous giver by making it harder than ever before. I've been thinking about that golf tee for a couple months now. I really wanted to give it to you this Christmas.

Do you remember how you used to bully us? We used to think you were mean old Uncle Ron, but all of our older cousins used to tell us that you used to bully them more. Speaking of Christmas, I remember multiple times getting coal from you.

Do you remember when you helped my parents dig a septic field? We were in awe of your excavating equipment, wishing we could use it. You did let us sit inside once, and that was the coolest thing. We were playing baseball in the backyard, until we got in trouble because we hit a ball into where the adults were working.

Do you remember the driving range in your backyard? We thought it was so cool that we didn't have to use wiffle balls. There were buckets of balls inside of that old semi cab, and you told us we could come over and hit balls any time. We felt so privileged.

Do you remember the first time we went to Tennessee? You picked us up really early in the morning, and we rode down in that pickup truck camper. We were able to talk to you through the sliding window. We had a power converter so we were able to play video games the whole way down. There was a bed up top so we could take turns sleeping. We thought it was the coolest thing to travel in.

Do you remember that same year when my bike broke and you helped me fix it? I needed an allen wrench, but you knew better; that we wouldn't be able to get it tight enough with that. I was older then, and I knew everything, but you showed me that I didn't, when you pulled out the vice grip pliers and got it tighter than it was when I bought the bike.

Do you remember when you got sick, and you had those spots tattooed on you for radiation? You were upset that the doctors blemished your golden Greek body. How dare they?!

Do you remember when you tried to use a Bic lighter on the back of a Sea Doo going 40 miles per hour? It was a story worth repeating multiple times.

Do you remember the way you used to pull us tubing? It was a unique style, I'm not sure that Child Protective Services would have approved. I'm no physicist, but I think the amount of G-force had the ability to pull someone's arm out of their socket. The best time though, was when the wave hit me just right, and I went sailing at least 12 feet in the air. You would just laugh at us while you shot us around the next turn.

Do you remember your white canvas slip on shoes that you wore with socks?

Do you remember how you would say "communist-socialist" as if it were one word?

Do you remember asking me to help you launch and trailer the boat? You trusted me, and it meant a lot, because I know you would have preferred to be able to do it all yourself.

Do you remember when we would put 45 gallons of gas in a hand cart and hook it on the truck hitch, and drive really slow to the dock? Well, until it came unhooked and hit that man's F150. In retrospect I think we could agree that that was pretty funny.

Do you remember how we knew how much you loved us? You never had to say it out loud, but we knew, because you showed us.

I remember, and I miss you very much.