old country house blog

ONE YEAR WITHOUT POPPI

One year ago today my Father in law passed away.

But, TRUTH BE TOLD…we lost POPPI, the Leonard DeVito we all loved… over a year ago. Alzheimers is the most unrelenting thief, stealing whole lifetimes worth of memories…the who and the what and the why of things..it is persistent and so greedy and It comes back, in the night and in the day..taking more names and places and functions and whole chapters with it each time.

phoebe and poppi
phoebe and poppi

But the day Poppi died…the lost years evaporated and I could see him again … telling me a story about a guy and a deal and a horse…and with the kids on his back…riding “bucking bronco”…forever the 4rth child in the house… from downstairs startled by a thud…from the boys room…knowing someone had fallen  off the horse named “Poppi”, but never were there tears…only peels of laughter…laughter and “Again! Again!”…It all came back.

CHRISTMAS 2004 - THE BOYS MESSING AROUND WITH POPPI. THE RUG UNDER THEIR FEET WHICH AT THAT TIME WAS IN THE LIVING ROOM, BECAME THE RUG IN THEIR BEDROOM 4 YEARS LATER....LOOK HOW LITTLE THEY ARE!
CHRISTMAS 2004 – THE BOYS MESSING AROUND WITH POPPI. …LOOK HOW LITTLE THEY ARE!

Poppi never had a daughter…until I married his first born son and from the day we first met at that Red Sox game ….he treated me so special….like a princess. He wrote me letters and gave me roses and I was so very blessed to be his daughter.

Poppy and I dancing at Maura and Jason's wedding. I am pretty sure that is his tie around my neck. Oh Poppy, I will miss you so much.
Poppy and I dancing at Maura and Jason’s wedding. I am pretty sure that is his tie around my neck. Oh Poppy, I miss you so much.

If Poppi had a soundtrack…it would be the sound of laughter. And it all came back to me one year ago…I could hear him again and he knew who I was.

love what you have when you have it

3 thoughts on “ONE YEAR WITHOUT POPPI

  1. Beautifully written. Lenny was one of a kind. I’m so glad I didn’t see him with Alzheimers. He would have hated that, and I would have cried. I agree, it is a horrible disease taking a person away minute by minute. I believe in dying when I want to.

    Love, Jane

  2. You are so blessed to have had him in your life, he sounds like the greatest guy (similar to my own dad in the playfulness department). We’ll always miss them but oh boy the memories, so thankful for them!
    Hugs ~ Mary

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