A Sunny Disposition

 

IN LOVING MEMORY OF

JAMES RALPH GIGER

SEPTEMBER 28, 1953 – APRIL 24, 2021

Husband – Father – Brother – Friend

If my late Uncle Jim Giger were a flower, he'd surely be a sunflower: strong, confident, bright, cheerful and happy! 

Unfortunately he lost his 7-month battle with pancreatic cancer on April 24, 2021 at the age of 67. He was my mom's younger brother by 10 years and he was 18 years older than me... which made him a cool uncle! (See pic below!)

While watering my garden a couple of weeks ago, I was thinking about my Uncle Jim – and how I will remember him.

The image of a big, bright, warm, genuine smile instantly popped into my head – and then the question: “Is it possible to miss a smile?” (Spoiler alert: YES it is!) Let me explain!

What followed was a flood of memories of Uncle Jim throughout my life and the common theme was “that SMILE” – and his sunny disposition! 

Much like my own dad, Uncle Jim was warm, kind, intelligent, easy-going, and SMILEY!

And it wasn’t just a regular smile. It was in his eyes, in his body language – it was an energy of love and acceptance and it said: I SEE YOU – no matter who you are!

I believe it truly came from his heart. His smile communicated an indelible strength and confidence that everything would be ok.

To me, Uncle Jim always radiated positivity. Even when life wasn’t easy for him, he made the most of it and truly lived life to the fullest. He said YES to life!

And, did I mention, he ALWAYS had a BIG SMILE on this face – and a sunny disposition!

Uncle Jim was well-traveled… I love this quote he shared with me after hearing about an intense and life-changing trip we took to the Middle East several years ago:

“International travel is so important and allows us to much better understand the points of view, beliefs and needs of other cultures, but in fact, we are all one.”

Uncle Jim always had an open heart and open mind to everyone he met – from every corner of the planet and from every walk of life – and always, always, that big, bright, warm, loving, easy-going smile.

Thank you Uncle Jim for radiating love and light to everyone you met! I want to be more like you!

In closing, I would like to share a poem that reminded me of Uncle Jim, and that I think we can all learn from. 

LEAVE A LEGACY TIME CAN’T ERASE 

by Kathryn Carole Ellison

If your name is carved on hearts 

And not on tombstones when you die,

Your legacy will be etched into the minds of others.

The stories will be shared; they'll multiply.

Your goal is not to live forever;

It's to be creative with something that will.

You make your mark by being true to yourself.

Your decisions and actions emit goodwill.

As Maya Angelou shared in some of her writings:

"People will forget what you said (no appeal).

They'll also forget what you did, my friends,

But they will never forget how you made them feel."

The legacy you leave is the life you lead.

(It may be time to take an inventory.)

The people you see, the decisions you make,

And the actions you take... that's your story.

Remember, you're in charge of what you leave behind.

Take control of your life, no limits to perceive.

Society cannot tell you how it's going to be.

You get to decide the legacy that you will leave.