Cap (updated)

CAP from shamus smith on Vimeo.

I'm quite certain I can't explain all things Cap to you in a blog post. She was far too grand a person. Cap went home to be with Jesus on Friday, April 17th 2009 after living a blessed and fruitful life among us. Here are a few of my thoughts and experiences taken from her last moments with us.

1. Completely humbled.
I had no problems looking Cap in the eye or touching her hand as she laid in the I.C.U. bed. The beeping of the life support machines or the tangled mess of I.V. line doesn't phase me much either. What did cause me to look away, to recoil in shame, was the sight of Gramps struggling to get through this mess of medicine in a meek and determined effort to lean over the bed and pull Cap close to him. He simply said "my wife". He placed a kiss on her forehead, and promised to return when visiting hours permitted later in the day. I have never witnessed such a perfect example of love. One so completely devoted to the well being and care of another person.

2. Why we call her "Cap"
Nowadays there are (in my opinion) many ridiculous names given to people who used to be called simply Grandma and Grandpa. Often with no real rhyme or reason as to why. Cap was both wonderfully simplistic, and years ahead of her time with regards to her name. It has often been said that I learned 85 percent of everything I know while sitting next to Cap. Even her name came to be from this very posture. For years, she and I would watch a T.V. show called Emergency! One of the main characters held the rank of Captain. And there you go. We would role play, and recite lines along with the actors, Cap always assumed the role of the Captain. It stuck. BIG TIME. Thirty years later, more people know her by Cap than the name her parents gave her in 1928. Interesting to note, how I would come to earn my living, and the part Cap played in all of it, watching this show with me. Perhaps 85 percent is a conservative estimate.

3. Say "cheese"
When arrangements for Cap's memorial service were coming together, my family asked me to create a video(to be posted here on 4/20/2009) for the gathering. To accomplish this I would need to get my hands on as many photographs of Cap as possible. No easy feat given the location of various family members scattered over several states, some more Internet savvy then others. Furthermore, there were sure to be an abundance of photographs that pre-dated the digital camera era. My final concern was that people, in the hustle of the weekend's activities, would procrastinate in getting me the pictures. All of my concerns were quickly put to rest. In under 12 hours, I had received 127 emails, all of them containing more than one picture attachment. I stopped counting them somewhere around 3A.M. It seems that everyone wanted to have their picture taken with Cap. Cap always obliged. What a wonderful record of love we have been given because Cap never turned down a photo op.
That's me with Cap in the photo below. Soakin' in a few percent.