My mom was born the sixth out of eight children. She has four sisters and three brothers -- each funny, crazy and unforgettable. I love them all, but I have a particularly special place in my heart for my Uncle Tom.
Tom is fifth in the family lineup, just before my mom.
Tom has piercing blue eyes that are kind like my grandmother’s, but just as protective.
Tom is also an artist. He paints day in and day out for people. He paints whatever they want: portraits, wall murals, landscape scenes, he does it all. You name it, he can paint it or sketch it or make it.
Tom wears jeans with ripped holes and paint stains of every color. He says it gives his clothes character and that even if he got new pants, they’d just get stained with splotches of paint again so there isn’t really any point in buying new ones.
Tom also really likes adventure. When I was growing up, he took me on rides in his boat and we went fishing in creeks and ponds. We watched the sunset and had Fourth of July parades and ate watermelon together. He always let me and the family come over on Saturdays to play in the backyard and swing on the hammocks and watch movies and play games. The house was never perfectly spotless. Uncle Tom didn't always have time for laundry or to dry the dishes but he always made time for us.
Tom even loves to travel. He's told me about his trips to Greece and about how he was born in Germany and that he traveled all over the United States with my granddad growing up.
Tom is even extremely funny, and he tells the best jokes. Most shouldn’t be repeated, but they all cause abundant laughter.
Today when I come into town, my uncle and I still talk. He’ll drink a beer and tell me not to tell my mom he's still smoking. We chat about life and we laugh a lot and we cry sometimes too.
He tells me about the hopes and dreams he always had and about the hopes and dreams he has for me. He tells me that he’s proud of me.
We talk about who I want to be and what I want to do when I get older, but he doesn't have a clue that I want to be just like him.
I don’t want to be an artist, but I certainly do want to be a Tom. I want to be good and real and fun and daring and creative and loving and bold.
I don't want to always care about the dishes and I don't want to sweat the small stuff, but I do always want to make sure I make time for the people who matter most. I want to live a life full of whimsy and laughter and happiness that shows other people about how life should be — enjoyed.
I just want to have an ounce of the spirit Tom has and the abandon to be as free as he has found himself to be.
Because finding the freedom to be happy where you are is the best thing you can do, no matter what you do with your life. And whether you want to be a lawyer or a garbageman or a teacher or a doctor or even an artist like Tom, be kind while you do it and be happy where you are.
