The visits I had with cousin John Edward deBruhl in his last days were very 'rich'. I'd been meaning to write about this for years. Thanks for the nudge from Arlene in our cousins text group. Cousins, please pass on to our family!
As she mentioned, he'd visited us when we lived in SF. Years later, who knew I would spent a lot of time with John at his hospice facility in Petaluma, where he quietly lived his last days. It was a coincidence that I worked in the same small town, on a temp consulting job. Uncle Robert let me know he was there and asked if I would visit him. It worked out perfectly. Robert then made plans to visit, as we knew John's time here was limited.
When Robert arrived, the two of them were quite the pair, telling lots of stories of growing up in Galveston. This crazy story was priceless and as an artist, I just loved the picture they painted and laughed about so heartily. Here's "The Levitation Story”, with the setting at Grandma Eula's lively home to so many!
Robert and John, as young kids, loved to romp, play in & outside Grandma Eula’s home. They’d run around inside, race out the back screen door, which would slam loudly. Grandma Eula would call out: “Stop slamming that door! "BAM!", there it went again. One day, the boys were chasing each other so ferociously and ran out the door so fast, that it flew off BOTH hinges, they grabbed on to it and it flew horizontally with both of them hanging on! They swore that it went horizontal and they levitated over/off the porch before everything sailed on out to the grass! Grandma was so shocked, in disbelief, yelling about the door, the kids, as they sailed out - no, levitated as the story went!
Back at the nursing home the two grown men howled while telling the story and I was rolling too! There was so so much love in that room that day! I always had a visual of what it must have looked like. I tried to do a pencil sketch, then 'concocted' this one, with help of course. I loved the story! The image details aren't exact, but it captures the spirit of the story, straight from the heart! Their spirit was a reminder to keep our humor as we go about life ~ Live, Love & Laugh! <3
We had a lovely funeral with military honors for John in the end, with family there and the most wonderful harpist Destiny Muhammed, who played jazz harp at his services. Thanks for the encouraging tip off to get me writing! With Love, cousin Patricia Patterson: Eula’s daughter, sister to Carol, Arlene & Brenda. pmacp@aol.com 7/25/26.