I am surprised how hard Robert Fish’s death has hit me. Like losing a brother. We had a remembrance for him at our home for friends and relatives. Stories, tears, and laughter flowed. Robert’s wife, Lynette, son Alex and his friend Kelly, and Robert’s granddaughter, Sylvia, stayed with us over the weekend.
What struck me about the stories we heard was how much more there was to Robert than I knew. He was quite the prankster. He was also a rock for Alex who went through a troubled adolescence and early adulthood.
I asked Alex to tell the story on video. What emerges is how Robert moved beyond the upright, rigid emotional world of his WASP family to a person who accepted Alex and gave him unconditional love. What Alex got from Robert he is now passing on to Sylvia. It is an amazing story:
To see more about Robert:
Three Friends Talk About Death
Robert Stevens Fish
Robert on Storytelling
I love the question and the answer about "the thread", the parenting thread. We all try to do it better than the previous generation. Sometimes we succeed. The most uplifting part of the memorial occasion for me was getting to know Alex and Sylvia and Kelly. Love goes on. Love grows.
One of my very favorite videos. You nailed it. And you included that great story about Robert dropping Alex off in GG Park. Priceless. I see Robert in Alex and it makes me happy. And that magical Sylvia. Wow. Thank you.
Thank you for posting these. Alex’s tribute to his father’s great parenting is heartwarming as I witnessed it first hand for 2 decades. And that Sylvia is such a confident, thoughtful, insightful girl is a tribute to Alex’s parenting. They keep Fish’s influence alive even though he is gone.
Hearing Fish’s commentary in the other videos allows us to revisit his wisdom and precious spirit. His influence on us all will last as long as we are alive.
Thank you for posting these. Alex’s tribute to his father’s great parenting is heartwarming as I witnessed it first hand for 2 decades. And that Sylvia is such a confident, thoughtful, insightful girl is a tribute to Alex’s parenting. They keep Fish’s influence alive even though he is gone.
Hearing Fish’s commentary in the other videos allows us to revisit his wisdom and precious spirit. His influence on us all will last as long as we are alive.