"Lay down my dear Uncle, lay down and take your rest.
Won’t you lay your head upon your Savior’s breast,
I love you, but Jesus loves you the best,
And I bid you goodnight, goodnight, goodnight”.
My favorite? Popping Wheelies.
Today, on this beautiful Vermont Fall Day of October 8th 2022, we laid my Uncle Troy to rest next to his sister and father. This year has not been kind to our family – we lost my Aunt Wendy on April 8th and Troy on July 7th. Thankfully, today was a beautiful afternoon!
Take the road less traveled dear, the view will be incredible.
I enjoyed the story that Jo shared about Troy from one of the times she stayed at the lodge my grandparents ran on Killington. He asked her to “sponsor” him for some sort of ski event and she asked him how many runs he thought he’d do, and he said “probably like twenty”. Jo went on to say he ended up skiing 60+ runs! I can hear Troy’s laugh now and see his smile… Apparently, he was quite the skier!! Super-Fast!
Lodge Days - Troy has the Red Flannel on.
Aunt Kari shared some memories of Troy as well – like how he was a quiet, laid back kind of guy yet was very passionate about what he liked. He loved riding bikes – motor cross and as he got older he got into riding a Harley. Troy was also an expert equipment operator – he was skilled with auto cad design and was about to go out on his own running Williams Excavating. He worked for a NY area construction company and also did work on his own. Before Troy moved to NY area, he also used to groom on Killington for many years. At his home in NY he enjoyed making trails down to the river and rode his bikes and wheelers and even took a horse that he owned (for a stint) on walks around his property. Troy and his partner Ann also had a super cool cat, named Simon. He’s an absolute love!
Troy Grooming on Killington Back In The Day
Simon Discovering the Farm :) Cutie Boy
Troy leaves behind his daughter Alicia and son Brandon, grandchildren, two brothers, his Mother and several nieces and great nieces and nephews. Despite the hardships and heartache that my family has endured this year – a silver lining is that we finally got to see my cousin Brandon and his children after 20 years. He came up from TN shortly after Troy’s passing. It was wonderful to see him and meet his two little girls and son after all these years. I hope at some point, all this loss will bring our family together more often. One of the things that death teaches us is this: Life is short. Death implores you to think about what really matters. What is important in life? Are you living your best life? Appreciating the life you have? The people in your life?
Family Reunion Summer 2022
Gosh, what else can I say? Life just doesn’t seem fair at times. Some things will forever remain a mystery. Why do good people get sick? Why do some people die untimely? Why do some people live to be 100? Life really is mysterious and I think one of the biggest lessons or reminders of this year is to be present. To really savor life, the people in our life, the simple things in life. The big things in life. We all get caught up in work, busy-i-ness, unnecessary drama, politics, social media – you name it. We stop being present and savoring life. This life, right here and now, is precious. The time we have here on Earth to pursue our best life is precious and must be used wisely.
“It sounds cliché, but the present truly is all there is. It is the space where our lives unfold. The past is gone. The future hasn’t happened yet. Past and future are essentially fictions—just constructions of the mind”.
Another thing that 2022 has led me ponder is the notion of leaving a legacy. When someone passes away, you can’t help but reflect back on their life and what they did, what their passions were, their impact, what was important to them and what have they left behind? Again, death makes us question what is truly important in life. What road leads to a life in which you can say “well lived” when your time is up?
Music In Background: Khruangbin & Leon Bridges "Texas Sun"
I would like to conclude on this note:
I am super proud of my cousin Alicia. She is so talented, so strong and dealing with the loss of her father with grit and fierce determination. I am inspired by my Grandmother’s strength to carry on – losing two children in less than 3 months and her incredible work ethic at 85 years old - still out there day in and day out taking caring of 8 horses and all the other “to dos” around the farm. Her ability to carry on is simply incredible. There are a lot of strong women in my family and I love you all for your unwavering strength, determination and caring hearts even in times of great sorrow and loss. Together we will rise. #Family #Love #Strength #Leo Power #Aries Power #Capricorn Power
Rest in Peace Uncle Troy & Ann. And please watch over your family & friends. We love you & we’ll miss you. <3
My grandmother,& her three boys, Clayton, Troy & Jay