LET IT BE.......

There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens:  a time to be born and a time to die...

July 2, 2004.....a phone call that changed our lifes.... it was like a nitemare.  We kept hoping someone would pinch us and tell us it was just a bad dream.  If it was a bad dream, Steve would have been here today. 

October 29th, 1955 ,,,, A baby boy, Stephen Oien Fleming,,,

All the dreams you ever dreamed, about a baby boy: are wrapped up in this bundle of blue, who gives you so much joy.  So quickly he will start to grow, and time will fly so fast.  Just hold tight to his little hand, and make each moment last, for soon he'll be a little boy with busy hands and dirty face; frogs and marbles and puppies in tow, running from place to place.  Right now he's fresh from heaven, a gift for you to love.  A tiny, sleeping bundle of blue sent from the Father above.

Steve..... he was so much to so many people....

a son

a brother

a husband

a father

an uncle

a friend

and to me... my favorite brother-in-law!  steve and i always joked how he was my favvorite brother-in-law, being he was the only brother-in-law i had!

I'm sure forever and ever from now, we will laugh, talk and remince about Steve and how he influenced our lives.  Two of my favoirtes, showing brotherly love was the time greg and steve were little and fussing and fightin, Mona came out with a broom and steve took off running and greg yells"come back here you son a bitch"  Oops, too bad greg was in reach of the broom, because he got it instead!and according to greg, steve got off scotch free!   Most little brothers look up and trust in their big brothers.  After this next incident not sure how much trust there was!.... Steve somehow talked greg into licking the bottom of a metal ice tray, and yes once his tongue was stuck, he advised him to just rip it off, not letting him know the skin on his tongue would be ripped off too!

the apple of his eye... his one and only daughter... Emily....sugar and spice and everything nice... thats what little girls are made of.   Two of the many things Steve did and left emily with is roots to stand firm and wings to fly high! Defineltly a DADDY'S GIRL.

Cherish your family for they are your treasure... a storehouse of riches, wealth without measure.. silver lake and fishing were a given between these two, Brad and his dad.  Steve didn't tell Brad how to live... steve lived and let Brad watch him do it.  Brad's heart is happy and his mind is free that he had a father who talked with him and taught him many life lessons.

So many memories, its hard to stop, river rafitng, we warned him not to ride with Ann, very tough and trying on a marriage... he did it anyways! Steve turned 40, he bought his first pair of cheater glasses, we teased him, but not for long because we were right behind him in buying a pair for us.

We always looked forward to holidays together, steve trying to play badmittion or crochet, jumping on the trampoline with the kids.  We always enjoyed opening Christmas presents, we had to write clues on the gifts we were giving, and the ones receiving had to guess before they could open.  Talk about Christmas presents... my collection of things he got with marlboro points... blankets, dominoes, fishing equipment.

When i think of Steve and all the memories... i cant help but think of some of his favoirte music... the Beatles... Strawberry Fields forever, Yesterday and Let It Be..

When I find myself in times of trouble

Mother Mary comes to me

Speaking words of wisdom, Let it be.

And in my hour of darkness

She is standing right in front of me

Speaking words of wisdom...Let it be

The last visit i had with Steve, May,2004, we were sitting at mom and dad's table... he was sharing with me how much he loved Georgia, the beauty,the serenity, how he was welcomed by his girlfriends family with open arms....(he had made a move to Georgia this past year)

anytime i hear this song... i cant help but think of Steve....

GEORGIA  ON MY MIND...

Georgia, Georgia, the whole day through

just an old sweet song keeps Georgia on my mind.

Georgia, Georgia, a song for you

Come as sweet and clear as moonlight through the pines.....

Steve left me with a can of peanuts, planters lightly salted cuz that's what they eat in Georgia, thanks to good ole President Jimmy Carter. Life will go on, but wont be the same, not for Brad and Emily, not for Mona, not for greg and I.  No more Pa-Pa, or dad, son or uncle steve.  All we truly have is 48 short years of memories.  i've been encouraged and have done my best to grab onto those memories and hang onto them, its all i have left of my favorite brother-in-law

The road is long

with many a winding turn

that leads us to who knows where

who knows when

But i'm strong

strong enough to carry him

he ain't heavy, he's my brother