Uncle Jerry

I imagine that everyone comes from a large family like mine, had three million cousins, and yearly family reunions on both sides. I simply do not understand kids with no brothers and sisters. Who do you fight with? who do you borrow clothes from and gang up on your parents with?
I was blessed with the Delarms and the Reeds, and a lot of my cousins I grew up with are grandparents now(bless em).One of the things I love about FB is that i see pictures or hear stories every day like when we were all pretty much living in Camden. Sometimes I see a picture and i think, oh, that looks so much like your Aunt--but you can't say that cause you never know if that would be a compliment, but I see it. Knowing the cycle of life at this old age kinds comforts me. I see the teens griping like we used to, so wanting to be considered grown-ups, yet not giving up that last stuffed toy....
Anyhoo, Jerry was my Fathers older brother. From day one I absolutely adored him. He threw Barbie and I in his old jeep and off to the woods we would go. He was always doing something and i thought he was perfect. He had a big old black dog i think was named Sam, but i may have the name wrong and he was in the jeep too. In those days before car seats, he often would let Barbie pull us in the drive to park. She not yet in school i don't think, and sitting on his lap driving like Andretti. I can still hear Aunt Barb saying "oh Jerry" and i miss her gentle ways.
Uncle Jerry was in a house full of women. His mother -in-law practically lived there too, or we went to Grandma Jeans if he needed some alone time. We would go for long rides, and he would tell really bad jokes and we were so happy i thought i would burst. I often stayed at his house when we had school breaks,and just being home with him was more fun. I never wanted to go home.
As we started to grow up, he became something in his carpenters union, and for the first time i was afraid for him, especially if we went to Utica. My dad told me how unions once had a purpose but now they were more corrupt than what they were set up to fight. I of course repeated it word for word back to Uncle Jerry and saw hurt and disapproval in his eyes for the first time. He quietly explained his side and we never discussed it again, because he knew I was parroting what i had heard at home.
Many things opened my eyes to things about Uncle Jerry that surprised me as an adult, but he is still a hero of mine. We are all human, and no one could have lived up to my ideal of him, even Mighty Mouse or Superman. He recently lost his wife (Aunt Barb) and I thought that might do him in, but from all accounts he is thriving, retired from carpentry and working at the Casino. Time marches on, but when i needed him, he was always there. I have been in Scotland 10years almost, and i know i could walk right in his front door and we would talk like there was no distance between us at all. I would tell him i am sorry i couldn't get home for the funeral, and that Ii loved him with all my heart. Then I would just listen as the stories would start...