This morning I remembered it would have been my brother, Jeff’s 54th birthday today. Jeff was 15 months younger than me and as youngsters were very close. We had little contact after 1976 when I moved to San Jose and Jeff remained at home in Ceres. We did not see eye to eye on most things in life and we argued a lot when we were together. In 2005, Jeff wrecked his truck, was ejected and badly injured. He had been drinking just prior to the crash. He was in a coma for two weeks in ICU before dying on February 8, 2005, after suffering a stroke.
Most people loved Jeff but some strongly disliked him. He was good looking, rowdy and magnetic. Many guys were jealous of his ability to attract girls. As we all do, Jeff had his faults. He was quick to anger and would fight at the drop of a hat. He was self-centered and always wanted to be doing something wild. I used to say that he was born 100 years too late and would have been a legendary mountain man or an outlaw. He loved to hunt bear, wild pigs and raccoons. His method of hunting hogs was unorthodox. While most would shoot a 300 pound hog from a safe distance, Jeff had “catch dogs” that would chase down their prey and latch on to the pig. They held the animal until Jeff got there when he would stab it with his knife until it died.
Today, I am missing my brother Jeff as well as my two other siblings, Tina who also passed away in 2005 and Kevin who died in 1981, both in car crashes. Of course, my son is foremost in my thoughts today as I dwell on my losses. Friends sometimes comment about how many I have lost which includes both my parents and what a tragic life I have had. I do not really know how to respond to this other than to say that others have suffered worse than I.
When asked how I handle these catastrophes I tell them it is through Jesus who gives me strength and hope. I know that when I die, I will go to heaven because I have asked Him to save me. He has the authority to do this because he died for my sins on the Cross and three days later, the Father resurrected Jesus and beat death. My hope lies in the fact that this life on Earth is short and only temporary for those who ask Jesus to forgive them. John 3:16 states…For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. I believe this with every fiber of my being.
Most people loved Jeff but some strongly disliked him. He was good looking, rowdy and magnetic. Many guys were jealous of his ability to attract girls. As we all do, Jeff had his faults. He was quick to anger and would fight at the drop of a hat. He was self-centered and always wanted to be doing something wild. I used to say that he was born 100 years too late and would have been a legendary mountain man or an outlaw. He loved to hunt bear, wild pigs and raccoons. His method of hunting hogs was unorthodox. While most would shoot a 300 pound hog from a safe distance, Jeff had “catch dogs” that would chase down their prey and latch on to the pig. They held the animal until Jeff got there when he would stab it with his knife until it died.
Today, I am missing my brother Jeff as well as my two other siblings, Tina who also passed away in 2005 and Kevin who died in 1981, both in car crashes. Of course, my son is foremost in my thoughts today as I dwell on my losses. Friends sometimes comment about how many I have lost which includes both my parents and what a tragic life I have had. I do not really know how to respond to this other than to say that others have suffered worse than I.
When asked how I handle these catastrophes I tell them it is through Jesus who gives me strength and hope. I know that when I die, I will go to heaven because I have asked Him to save me. He has the authority to do this because he died for my sins on the Cross and three days later, the Father resurrected Jesus and beat death. My hope lies in the fact that this life on Earth is short and only temporary for those who ask Jesus to forgive them. John 3:16 states…For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. I believe this with every fiber of my being.
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Love,
Christopher M. Fiorini