Al is fundamentally a very, very kind man. A few years ago, I had a very disabled relative, and Al & I, several times a year over the course of several years, would drive hundreds of miles to take him to a place where we could take care of him and give him a respite from an otherwise hugely depressing existence. Al was so loving to my relative - he'd make up games to play, would change his adult diaper, and would make him laugh - oh, how Al could make him laugh!
I was reminded of that laughter last week while walking to work. I was listening to my Ipod Touch, set, as always, to shuffle play, and the selection is, well, eclectic to say the least. One song that came up in my queue was the Fairfield Four's rendition of "You Gotta Walk that Lonesome Valley." I know it sounds silly now, but my relative would laugh with utter delight when, late at night when all were in bed, Al would sing/yell out "You", the first word of the song. We would hear the amazing giggle from the next room, coming from someone who didn't have much to giggle about. I'll never hear that song without thinking of Al and his kindnesses.
My relative died in 2007 - a blessing. But looking back on my own life, an important part were those time we tried to help him. And Al was key to that help.
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