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Jul. 25th, 2005
i know what i'll be listening to today
Jul. 25th, 2005 10:32 amRIP
I don't think I remember being at an age when I didn't know about his existence - I don't remember a time before listening to the ali baba record, and my grandfather pointing to Berkovsky's picture on the cover and telling me about him.
I remember being very tickled by the fact that his wife's nickname was the name of my favorite teddy bear - it always endeared her to me, but wouldn't have been necessary because she's such a sweet woman.
Beyond her being very nice, I remember meeting and liking their dog when I was little more then I remember them; my first full memory of him was from when they stayed with us when my mom was pregnant with debbie. In the ways that he reminded me of my grandfather, he definately felt like family.
Because of how the timing of his trips to the states worked out, he ended up being one of very few people who saw my mom during her pregnancies with all of her children.
Going to a concert of his and then to the organizer's house with my grandparents 8 years ago is one of the best memories I have of spending time with my grandparents; going to see the last tour he was on, going backstage with my grandfather during intermission is one of my more painful memories of time with them, one of the first views i had of how deep his senility is getting.
I have two cd's of his in the car, and it's what I listen to when I need to hear a comforting voice, to feel connected. He'd been looking more hagard lately, but I always thought I'd see him playing again.
This is also the first death in my grandfather's social circle since a family friend died of cancer in the mid 80's. I've been sheltered from death for so long, and my grandparents' mortality isn't something I'm ready to face.
Of course, my mother left me a bit speechless again - mentioned the death, kept on with conversation and then was surprised that I wasn't quite all there for the rest of the conversation.
I don't think I remember being at an age when I didn't know about his existence - I don't remember a time before listening to the ali baba record, and my grandfather pointing to Berkovsky's picture on the cover and telling me about him.
I remember being very tickled by the fact that his wife's nickname was the name of my favorite teddy bear - it always endeared her to me, but wouldn't have been necessary because she's such a sweet woman.
Beyond her being very nice, I remember meeting and liking their dog when I was little more then I remember them; my first full memory of him was from when they stayed with us when my mom was pregnant with debbie. In the ways that he reminded me of my grandfather, he definately felt like family.
Because of how the timing of his trips to the states worked out, he ended up being one of very few people who saw my mom during her pregnancies with all of her children.
Going to a concert of his and then to the organizer's house with my grandparents 8 years ago is one of the best memories I have of spending time with my grandparents; going to see the last tour he was on, going backstage with my grandfather during intermission is one of my more painful memories of time with them, one of the first views i had of how deep his senility is getting.
I have two cd's of his in the car, and it's what I listen to when I need to hear a comforting voice, to feel connected. He'd been looking more hagard lately, but I always thought I'd see him playing again.
This is also the first death in my grandfather's social circle since a family friend died of cancer in the mid 80's. I've been sheltered from death for so long, and my grandparents' mortality isn't something I'm ready to face.
Of course, my mother left me a bit speechless again - mentioned the death, kept on with conversation and then was surprised that I wasn't quite all there for the rest of the conversation.