Tuesday, June 4, 2019
When one of your parents remarries, you never really know what to expect. As a 12 year old, I wasn't sure what would happen when Fred became my stepdad officially. It just so happened that he was a wonderful addition to our family. As much as I got irritated by his teasing, I came to cherish it. More important than his treatment of us was the way he treated our mother. In Fred she found a true partner for the first time in her life and it was wonderful to see her life stabilize and personality become more relaxed as she grew into her relationship with Fred. The two of them were rarely apart and in their 30 years of marriage, they seldom argued (if ever). Fred is, without question, the best thing that happened to my mother and in turn, the best thing that happened to all of us. I'll forever miss him teasing me about how I had to have a New Kids on the Block jacket when I was an 11 year old, or deciding it would be a good idea to change the spelling of my name to Khrystyne (that phase didn't last long, thankfully).
It's been shy of a week since Fred passed away and his absence in our family is palpable. He may not be here physically but he'll forever be part of us.
