Uncle Lou

Cover Art Designed by a Kindness Ambassador for a LFOE Lettering Campaign.

My Uncle Lou is one of my greatest treasures in life. On my 12th birthday, my grandfather Aaron passed away unexpectedly. He and I were very close, especially because I was the first granddaughter in a family of all boys, and I was devastated. Lou jumped in as my “grand uncle”. He told me how much his father loved me and recounted all kinds of stories from when he was a little boy. I remember how excited I was to visit him, and I am that same little girl to this day. Lou has been my biggest cheerleader throughout my life. He encourages me without hesitation in everything that I want to pursue. He is a retired attorney, but encouraged me to take over the law firm, and was disappointed when I did not. He taught me how to play backgammon and poker and told me to get good at them in case I needed a job.

Lou is my father’s younger brother, but we are closer than just uncle and niece. I ask his advice on almost everything, because to me, Louie knows everything about everything. When Louie and I are together, we laugh and banter. We love each other and know how to “push each other’s buttons”. There is no greater feeling in the world than beating Louie at something, partly because he is a fierce competitor. The first time Louie met my son, they fell in love. Louie has a grey beard, which was red many years ago, and my son was convinced that Louie was Santa Claus. He would sit in Louie’s lap and they would talk for hours.

One day, Lou was in a poker tournament in Maryland, but he was over three hours away. He drove all the way to see us, and we had sushi and snacks. After a few hours together, he drove back. Louie has an amazing knack for not only making you feel special but making you better every time. When you speak to Louie, he looks at you and listens to every word. When you are finished, he will start with, “…well are you asking my advice, or have you already decided?”, and speaks to people without judgement or anger. Louie guides you with questions until you are convinced of the decision. These characteristics make him an excellent listener, conversationalist and person to be around.

I sometimes call Louie to hear some interesting facts about something he read about and to just hear his voice. He has a great laugh and sense of humor. He ends every call with “I love you a lot” and then says it again before he hangs up. I smile every time we finish a conversation. Louie and his wife live in Florida, so we have not been able to visit, but I pray that this will change soon so that I can see my grand uncle.

Rosie lives in Salisbury, Maryland with her teenage son, husband, three rescue dogs and a very old cat. She has worked for Verizon since 1997 and has had a multitude of opportunities in different roles. Rosie loves what she does, even during these difficult times.