A Step Back

With Passover and Holy Easter week falling within the same time frame, most of the people who read this blog had an opportunity to spend time with family - sharing stories with the kids while the grownups cooked and served. It was the same with our family. Though only half of us could gather in one place - Peter's deceased sister's home -- we came together to do what we do best, tell stories, laugh, eat and enjoy each other.

Which made to think about today's blog. I thought it was a good time to take a step back and share why the family asked for privacy for the year following Peter's death.

Simply, we were still mourning the death of Pete's eldest sister, Annette, who was the kept the family together with parties, dinners, events, structure. The family (Peter too) was dealing with losing her and helping her immediate family carry on, when Peter's untimely death occured. It was unfathomable that Peter had died -- especially since his middle sister Pat had JUST SPOKEN to him just a week earlier. It was unbelieveable that we had to get people together and follow a trail to find out just how Peter could have possibly died when he was supposed to be living in NY in a couple of days. HOW ? WHY? WHEN? WHERE? These were the questions Pete's sisters had to deal with while the rest of us supported their quest.

But it was during this last year that we began to connect with all of you. We read beautiful stories, saw artwork, photography, poems written by all of you expressing your heartfelt rememberances of Peter. And, we learned so much more from all of you.

Every musician, author, artist will tell you that their job takes them away from the people who love them most. But, while they are away, if they are lucky, they create their own traveling family - band of brothers - who deal with the mundane and business side of their life while on the road. (or while they are in the recording studio).

When Peter came back from the road, we'd all get together. Every single time he came back, he'd call a bunch of us and we'd get together. But, there was an understanding -- don't ask him about the shows, he was sick of talking about the shows -- so instead, he wanted to know exactly what each of us were doing while he was away. If we traveled, he wanted to know. If we had new business things, he wanted to know. If someone was sick or dying, he wanted to know. Then, after he caught up with most of us, he would start telling stories. Crazy things the bands did, or interesting everyday people he met in places around the world that most of us have never been to. He told us stories about being strip searched at the border of Germany, or locked up in Poland for not having the right paperwork. And in each story, there was always some fan or roadie who saved the day.

Lots of times he'd have cds of bands he had played with or songs that other people passed to him at shows. He brought home musical presents for his nieces, he gave out bumper stickers, he shared gold records with his sisters. And, we in turn made him his favorite foods like a whole, homemade apple pie (just for him). He sit there, with a fork in hand eating from the middle of the pie, drinking a quart of cold milk. And, when he'd finish up, he'd just get back into the groove of being a little boy stuck inside of a giant man. Rolling on the floor with the kids or playing with the dogs and cats. When he was home, he was just Pete, fun, laughing, telling stories -- our Pete.