It is one of the saddest posts that I have shared over the life of this blog. On Monday, December 20th, I got the very sad news that Pat Davis, a good friend and the husband of my dear friend, Julie, had left this world. He had fought such a tough battle with Covid, and for a while it looked like he might win. He got sick after Thanksgiving, and it is such a shock to me that he is no longer in the house that he and Julie built together, with his dog following him around and all his projects set up and waiting to be finished.
I have known them since Laura was a year old. Sarah was a sweet little toddler, and Julie was pregnant with Katie. I didn't know it yet but Nina was on the way. Julie and I spent so much time together and the girls grew up like cousins. Pat was always there. He was one of those people that is just always a part of life. The girls called him Uncle Pat. He was famous for his spicey food and the girls still talk about how they were afraid to eat it, but more afraid not to!
We went on hikes, had every birthday and many holidays together. Pat was sometimes working at the mill on the late shift so we would have dinner with Julie and the girls, a "girls night", on a regular basis.
I can hear Pat saying "Hey Jenny". I will always remember the sound of his voice and the way he would bring funny stories into the conversation. It's so hard to believe that I won't hear his voice again in this life. How can that be?
It's so strange how we look back at the last time that we saw or spoke to someone, not realizing that it is actually the last time.
We had the wonderful day at the Davis' last summer when we were in Port Angeles. We all talked about the past and watched the grandkids and it was so comfortable and right. I gave Pat a hug good-bye and told him that we'd see him when we came back, except now we won't. So strange and sobering.
I know that many people have lost loved ones to Covid. I know that the pain and loss is spread across the whole nation. Everyone feels the uncertainty and the threat, and we even had it here ourselves. I now know three wives who have lost their husbands, but I didn't know those husbands very well. Pat was different. He is going to be missed, so much, by his family, and ours as well.
