It's that time of year when you start to remember all of your family's traditions that some how got passed down from generation to generation. Crazy to think back to when I was little and we used to travel to Indiana every year. Not necessarily for Thanksgiving, but Memorial Weekend, for the Indy 500. My mom's entire family would get together. The things I remember the most was the laughs. That part of my family was always laughing. You just hoped you were laughing with them and not being laughed at, because it was always their mission to play a prank or joke on someone, anyone. Every person was fair game, no one was safe from the crazy antics.
My Great-Grandma walked with a cane, although I never really remember her using the cane for walking. She would swat you on the backside as you walked past her. My Grandma would lurk behind anything and yell "BOO" to scare you. As would my mother. Turns out I inherited this lovely trait for scaring unsuspecting people-- I scared my husband (at the time he was just my boyfriend) when he walked into my apartment. I simply waited behind the door and said "Boo" when he walked in.Scared him enough that he fell over the couch.
My brother could tell you a story about coming home from the race, riding in the car with my mom's Uncle (Jay Lee) and his son, Chad (my mom's cousin). My brother could tell the story so much better than I ever could, as he experienced it and it scared him so bad that almost 30 years later my brother still talks about it. My brother was asleep in the back of the car-- see, when you go to the Indy 500 you get up at the crack of dawn and drive into Indianapolis. Then you tail-gate all day, even when you're only about 10 years old tail-gating is a VERY important piece of the puzzle. Of course this leads to a very long day in the sun, exhausting everyone. My brother fell asleep in the backseat and woke up to Jay Lee slamming on the breaks, he and Chad screaming at the top of their lungs! Talk about terrifying. Jay Lee's smile is so contagious, you cannot even hold it against him, you just have to laugh along with them.
Jay Lee passed away this weekend, after a long battle. It's heartbreaking because he was the baby of the family and he was always so much fun! But, let me tell you the crazy family antics have been passed down. Last night I was in the shower-- 10 minutes of hot shower, no toddlers. At least I thought so. I left my son in the bedroom watching the "dog movie" (101 Dalmatians) and my husband had our daughter asleep in the chair after she passed out during her breathing treatment. I started to hear some nudges at the door. It could have been the dog, but usually he nudges it and moves on, but then the door opens and my son walks in, all sneaky, and says "BOO!" I could not stop laughing at my TWO YEAR OLD SON, who some how managed to inherit the silly trait of scaring people. We walk around the house, jumping out from behind corners a lot in my house. My Grandma would think it was the funniest thing ever. Every day I wish she were alive to see his silliness, especially last night. I would have loved to have called her and told her about her Great-Grandson, she would have been so proud.
My Grandma probably was standing behind the Golden Gate and St Peter, lurking, just waiting for Jay Lee to step foot into Heaven for the first time, and at the exact right moment jump out and yell BOO! That's how it goes...
In memory of Jay Lee, and my Grandma Mary Lou
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