A farewell to my husband:
My life with Howard was always an adventure. Even the ordinary domestic routine could become an event. Such as Howard coming home from work. We always had our evening meal all together with the children around our large kitchen table. Howard would come through the door calling “where are they?” And the children would come running to greet him. Carolyn was always the last in, maybe on purpose, because her Daddy would always seek her out. “Where is she; where is my little Boonie?” And then she popped up with hugs and kisses. The meal itself was chaotic with everyone trying to talk at once, rehearsing their day, with spilled milk, tipping this and that, mopping up here and there and sometimes tears. Once when he was a grown man our son James said to me that he looked forward to supper all day long as a kid. I used to sing to Howard a paraphrase of that song from Camelot: “If ever I would leave you”, only I changed the words to: “it would be before supper.” But I never once wanted to leave.
Howard was always up for something new. A new project with the CFM group, a new involvement with the children, a new job in a new city, and often in a new country. And he never complained, never was depressed, even in the last years of his life when he had a lot of physical pain, he was always positive and supportive. Whenever something bad happened Howard kept steadfastly moving forward. I used to have to run to keep up with him.
And now another new challenge for us. I can almost hear him coaching: “keep on keeping on”. And indeed, we will, for there is something very satisfying about a generous, loving, and honorable life coming to completion which soothes our grief. Our relationship continues as we remember so many days and so many ways Howard brought joy to his fellow journeyers along the various paths of our shared lives.
Farewell with abundant love,
Kathy
