A Greater Capacity for Love

Adrian is so wise. His painful experiences of losing his father and his brother have not left him bitter in any way, but more grateful and loving. He has been a great example to me during this time of grief in my life. I have never experienced anything like this and it is such a blessing to have his strength and understanding.

Adrian's father, Big Bob, truly was a renaissance man. He was Adrian's idol. Adrian often tells the greatest and most unique stories of his father's life and when he does, his eyes light up and he is joyfully creating memories for our children of the grandfather they never got to meet. Adrian brings him alive for them. What strikes me is that the great qualities he saw in his father are the same wonderful qualities I see in Adrian.

He was a talented painter, story teller, photographer, writer, designer of sail boats, just to name a few of his credentials. In Adrian's eyes, he hung the moon. Big Bob traveled the world and if you ever want a good story, ask Adrian how his Dad managed to do just that. It involves a fortune teller's daughter and a sinking cruise ship! It is a treasure of a story.

Little Bob was Adrian's older brother. Adrian admired him as much as he admired his father. I am grateful that my husband had two men like Big Bob and Little Bob to look up to. Little Bob stories are legendary. We never got to meet Uncle Bob because his life was tragically taken away just three months before I met Adrian. But Adrian makes him come to life when he plays his favorite music and we have Uncle Bob sing alongs in our living room.

I love the story Adrian tells of how his brother learned to play the guitar at the tender age of 12, at which he was tremendously talented. Little Bob was a self taught musician. He had a book to serve as a guide. He would sit for hours practicing with the book propped up in front of him. He learned how to string his instrument and play. But because of the position of the book, he learned how to do everything backwards and upside down. He played this unique way his entire life, even professionally.

Adrian told me that he is still mourning his father and his brother. The pain never really goes away. It is always there. But through the grieving, there are celebrations. There is joy. Life moves forward. And your heart grows to have even a greater capacity for love.