Apr 11 - Parkinson's Disease Day

I miss my Pop.  He was a handsome, sweet man named Raymond J. Smith.  I remember very little about him, but since he died of this yucky disease, I feel moved to recall everything I can.

• He was born in 1899.  Yeah, really.
• He was an elder in the churches of Christ.
• He and Myrtle O'Quinn ("Mom") had three kids, the very youngest being my mother, Patricia Anne, who was so much younger than her siblings, who were 18 and 10 years her senior.
• Pop had a gruff laugh that was so gruff sounding it made me giggle anyway.
• He and "Mom" met and married in Kermit, Texas where he worked in the oil fields for a time.
• After they moved to Lubbock, TX they went to Ireland on a mission trip and brought back a teenager who lived with them until they both passed and still lives in that very house today.  I consider her my Aunt Margaret.
• He had so many clocks in his house that it sounded like a chorus of bells when they chimed because he set them each about a minute or less apart (a couple of years after he passed, I walked into the ten Boom's house in Germany right at the hour and the sound of the chimes made me burst into tears because it was in his home and on his encouragement that I first came to know of their inspirational story).
• We gave him a beautiful grandfather clock for his 80th birthday; this clock now resides in the entryway of my parents' house.
• I think my first ever shared cup of coffee was with my Pop ... when I was 12.
• He used to listen to LP records on a really old phonograph that smelled strongly and sweetly of the past every time it was opened.
• When he called to someone in the house, his gruff voice started with, "OH!"  "OH, Anne!  OH, Margaret!  OH, Mollie!  OH, Angie!"
• My last memories of him were calling out to me that way when he needed his catheter changed.  Once, I boldly told him I was going to put it in a jar, label it "Pop's Pee" and put it by my bedside.  Yeah, I never did that.  I got a great laugh from him though.  The last one I remember.
• He came to my high school graduation earlier that year and really had to shuffle to get there.  He passed that December.

My Pop was actually quite luckier than most who are diagnosed with Parkinson's as it was not until the last few years of his life that he struggled with it.  Because of my age and where we were living during various years, I was unable to really get to know him except at Christmas.  But those times were pretty awesome.  I wish he could have met David because he would have approved to the point of applause.  Anybody who knew Pop would giggle at that because ... applause??  Oh yes, he would have.  David and I were married the weekend anniversary of his passing.