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| Jon and Kaya ~ Florida 2011 |
Saturday was my daughter's 5th birthday, and while it was of course a very happy occasion, the sadness of Jon's absence found a new way to reveal itself. As Kaya was opening her gifts, it suddenly hit me - no more books from Uncle Jonny (as she called him). From when she was born, and each of the 4 birthdays after that, Jon gave her a bunch of carefully chosen books as a present. I always loved that he did that, for so many reasons. First, and probably not surprisingly, he picked out the best books - from the classics like Make Way for Ducklings and Bluberries for Sal, to some really unique picks that he selected I think for the appeal to his own inner child. He clearly reconnected with his own childhood when he picked the books, which we laughed about when he gave her Paddington and many Curious George stories- I so vividly remember him loving that bear and that monkey as a kid. It's so bittersweet to picture Jon in the bookstore (the local one of course, not the chain), eagerly sorting through the options to find the perfect books for Kaya. I think for Jon, giving a book to someone was a very personal thing, for reasons you already understand if you knew him. I guess when you love something so much, you want the people you care about to experience it too - Jon loved what books did for him, and tried to share this passion with others, including Kaya. In the letter he wrote me hours before he left this world, he asked me to make sure Kaya knows how much he loved her and that were he around, he'd still be bringing her books. Whenever I read one of those books to her, I do just that. I hope he knows how much we will always cherish the many books he lovingly gave her, and forever wish there would be more.
