Last week my aunt died. This is a really hard time for me and my family... You see she had a horrible and rare neurological disorder, called Huntingtons Disease... In the last decade we watched as my aunt went from this beautiful, full of life and charm and spark, woman, to a woman that the disease slowly took over... This was not a fun process to watch or deal with... And the person who had the hardship of it all and who is my hero is my Uncle Brian, her husband... he is an amazing husband, amazing father and at the same time, when Tanya couldn't be, an amazing "mother figure" to their beautiful girls... giving them life experiences through school activities and what have you... making sure they are experiencing their world! And they are amazing lil girls succeeding in EVERYTHING they DO!!!! AMAZING FATHER!!! AMAZING HUSBAND!!!
The Pratts are a rare family, and if anyone has met them, you DO not forget them... they are seriously THE funnest people to be around, you can't get out of their house without rolling and laughing so hard... It has ALWAYS been this way and Brian has kept this spirit in his house, even through all the hardship, we still had to roll!!! And the greatest part, that made it so beautiful was he included Tanya in it everytime, in every story... no matter what state she was in... Because that was THEM.
Last weekend was the funeral for Tanya... it was the best funeral I've been to. It was done so authentic and real, it made it so beautiful. (However, Utah was too COLD for my AZ butt!) The night before, was the "celebration of life" of Tanya... where Brian opened saying we could be as "irreverent" as we wanted and that he didn't want to "roast" Tanya too bad in fear she may "haunt him"... ha ha ha ha That is soooo my Uncle Brian.. So we spent a unique evening sharing amazing moments about Tanya that made us all laugh and cry at the same time...
Some highlights were when Tanya drove around the streets of Cali with her pants off to keep cool, or when Morgan was a baby, her headband strangling her while her head was stuck out of her stroller leg holes... or Tanya's many many driving issues or tickets! : ) The stories went on and on... It was such a FUN evening of memories! We could feel Tanya's spirit there, I'm sure she was laughing along with us!
The funeral was amazing thanks to Tanya's amazing, "go getter", sister Charity and it was great to see the close bond the two families have... the Pratts and the Bakers... Two great families bonded together because of this amazing woman and amazing man. Although the tears were shed because we will miss her greatly, (and this may sound bad but) I think we all feel a sense of relief that she is released from the bondage of the disease.
I'll miss you Tanya.. I loved you so much.. It was an honor to have known and loved you.... Thank you for leaving us with such great memories and such good laughs of love! Your spirit through this was strong... This disease could have easily broke anyone, but you remained strong, and as you told Charity in December... you still remained "Happy" through it all... what an example you are to us all... to be that much bigger than the disease... I love you for all of that... Thank you for your example of life... and how to live it to the fullest..
I love you Uncle Brian and thank you so so so much for your example to me of what true Unconditional LOVE IS... what it TRULY TRULY is... You are a hero amongst us and we all look to you with such admiration of your strength and endearing love... You are so humble about it all, you seem to act almost embarrassed when we honor you... : ) It makes me smile, how amzing your your heart and spirit is!
To my adorable cousins Morgan and Madison... you are amzing and strong little women... you have endured more than most your age... what a life experience you already have... such love, such devotion, while still living your own lives and experiencing your own experiences... sharing them all with your mom!!! That is something you will always remember.. You both are such strong young women and so talented and successful in all you do! You amaze me with your drive in life!
To Jen, Tanya's dear friend and caretaker... thank you, thank you soooo very much for being there with her day after day and being with this family through all of these years... what a difference you have made in their lives... You are an angel.. Truly an angel... another TRUE example to me of Unconditional LOVE and devotion. You amaze me with your humble soul and heart.
I love you Pratts!
2 comments:
Every once in a while I'll be in a store and hear the song "AAAlll-yson" and think of Uncle Brian. It has been about 15 years since I met Brian and Tanya and they really are unforgettable! Reading about the headband and the stroller...that wasn't in Jackson Hole was it? I remember sitting at the pizza place(Mountain High Pizza Pie?), outside, waiting for our pizza and something happened with the baby. Her head got stuck in the stroller somehow.
I'm sorry for the loss your family will feel in Tanya's passing. I feel priviledged to have met and laughed with her.
Very nice tribute Bradie! I wish I could've met her!
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