It was a life well lived.

I’m gonna miss Great Uncle Norman. He was the last living link to my Papa Florence. But he was more than that, too.

Mom says Uncle Norman was our family historian—the keeper of our story. He helped us understand where we came from, sharing the history of both Great Grandma Helen’s family and the Florence family. He reminded us often that family history mattered, that family connections mattered, and that it was our responsibility to keep those stories alive. He didn’t just talk about family. He lived it. He was always bringing people together, reaching out, organizing gatherings, and making sure relationships stayed strong. He was the unofficial Mayor for the Florence side of my family, and these were the life lessons he taught us:

• Be the one who makes the phone call.
• Be the one who gathers family.
• Be the one who tells the stories.
• Be the one who remembers where you came from, and helps others remember too.
• Ask questions of your elders while they’re still here to answer them.
• Preserve the family history.
• Be generous with your time.
• Show up.
• Take the trip.
• Make the visit.
• Laugh loudly.
• Hug fiercely.
• Love your people well.
• Write a life story that’s worth remembering and re-telling.
• Pass along the best parts of you.
• Live on in all those who love you.
• Leave a lineage and legacy that transcends any surname.
• Become immortal.

Safe travels, Uncle Norman.

And long live the Florences.