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Richard MacLean, 1962-2006 RIP
My mom didn't hear Richie this morning coughing up half a lung, so she managed to get up and found him on the couch dead.
Richie had his share of problems, beginning with his family life so many years ago, but has been living with my mom since 1983. He always called my mother "mom" as he was about 8 when his own passed away.
Our family has always been involved in their family, and Richie's sister Barbie is my brother's wife--in fact, my other brother had a child by another sister, Jane. My mother also fostered two other sisters, Maureen and Betty, at various times. When their mother passed away, the father remarried less than a year later to the woman he'd been screwing around with while his wife was still alive, and then promptly died himself a couple of days after they were married.
It's a sad affair with their family, but my mom was always there to help if she could. In fact, Richie had been taking care of my mom and brother for quite awhile now.
Richie's main problem was alcoholism. He swore he would drink until he died. He was also a big smoker, and had emphysema, which I'm sure contributed to his death. You don't die "suddenly" from not having enough health problems that you allow to control your life. Indeed, this should have been apparent for some time coming.
Richie was a fairly agreeable sort who just had an addictive personality--addictions that he chose to support rather than fight. By giving in to all the substance abuse in his life, he was only repeating the set of emotions he likely had growing up, with a bastard of a father who often abused him and the rest of his siblings.
And so ends another life. While some of it was a great waste, he did have an abiding love for both my mom and my brother. My brother had been in a major car accident back in 1978 which left him permanently disabled both physically and mentally. His intelligence and awareness level is about that of a 10 year old. He and Richie were very close.
Richie never really took care of himself, regardless. If he did, perhaps he wouldn't have died so young. It is very sad to have the capacity to live life, but do nothing to keep alive, instead letting all that you have done to yourself control you in the end.
Richie--rest in peace. The troubles are no longer going to haunt you.
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