Last Call: Memento Mori

 

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“In photography, there is a reality so subtle that it becomes more real than reality.” - Alfred Stieglitz


    It's too easy to assume that we can do tomorrow what should be done today. Stephen Covey argued that we too often use our time on the urgent instead of the important, assuming we'll be able to deal with the important things later. A stoic would say to remember that we are going to die, or memento mori. Marcus Aurelius, in his Meditations, wrote, "You could leave life right now. Let that determine what you do and say and think."

    Let us realize how precious our lives and relationships are and try to treat them with the respect they deserve on a daily basis, remembering we may not be able to make amends tomorrow for hurt and pain dispensed today. None of this is depressing if we remember the point: our time is a gift and we shouldn't waste it trivially. My post on February 6, 2021 is in memory of two lower Delaware men who by all accounts lived with purpose and integrity...

    I don’t know if they knew each other personally but I’m sure they knew of each other. I like to think these two gulls represent the spirits of TJ Redefer and Gus Svolis, both special men who made their marks on the Delaware Shore.

    TJ owned Rehoboth Bay Realty, served as the mayor of Dewey Beach, and was known for his genuine love of his hometown proudly showing it off with his amazingly beautiful drone videos.

    Gus founded Rehoboth Beach icon Gus & Gus Place way back in 1956 and dependably fed thousands of hungry customers at his charming restaurant at the corner of Wilmington Avenue and the boardwalk.

    Sadly, both men passed away last year but their memories will long live on because of the generous way they treated others. In ‘Last Call’ on a sunset pier over Rehoboth Bay, I can see these two Delaware originals peacefully hanging out and keeping an eye over the place they loved.

    Hope all of you have a great weekend, my friends! And show someone you love how much they mean to you. Tomorrow is a promise to no one.

Clicking on the image will open it in full screen


    One last remark... I was blessed to receive a reply from TJ's wife Bobbie Redefer in which she expressed her thanks for my post. I'm honored and it warms my heart to know she appreciated it. I share her words here: "I am not sure we know each other, but I just want to say from the bottom of my broken heart, this is a beautiful post and tribute to two wonderful men. TJ touched so many people and am overwhelmed after 33 years of marriage, I am still reminded by everyone what a wonderful husband, father and son and community leader he was. We are all such better people because of him. He was a warm, kind human! We often went to the boardwalk to walk and always stopped in to have a burger at Gus and Gus almost weekly. We loved visiting with Gus and his family, it brought back many childhood memories for TJ. Thank you for remembering them both! I am honored and humbled to say TJ was my husband and best friend. God bless you sir. Love, Bobbie"

🥰

Location: Dewey Beach, DE 19971, USA

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