January 2019

Before I ever heard of Tiger Woods…the only famous athlete I knew named “Tiger” was my Uncle Harold in Tasmania! He was a sports icon down under (under) in Tasmania for Cycling and Aussie Rules Footie…I haven’t been able to write this blog post for a month…I’m ready now.IMG_8370

My Uncle Harold brought smiles, love and laughter to so many. He always made us feel important and he cherished family. He listened, loved, played hard, and worked even harder. His expectations were extremely high….but we all worked so hard to meet them and make him proud. 🙂IMG_8380

He adored footie and was so proud of his son and grandsons who excelled in this sport. He also loved golf (ironically!). Uncle Harold was mom’s only sibling (and younger brother). She phoned and connected with him regularly. They always had a special, loving kinship. We even traveled over to Tasmania to surprise him on his 80th birthday on Halloween, 2017. I’ll never forget his reaction when he saw mom in the elevator that night!

As an uncle….Tiger couldn’t be beat! He made me laugh and always made me feel important to him. He was warm, welcoming, and always an imp! Never a dull moment with Harold.IMG_8372

This Christmas was quiet (just my husband, mom and I) and challenging as mom lost her only brother, and I lost my last remaining (and oh so special uncle), on Dec. 21st, 2018.  Uncle Harold, or Tiger Dowling, as he was known in the Australian Sports circles–particularly in Tasmania–sadly lost his battle with cancer. RIP Uncle Harold…You will be deeply missed… but your sparkling eyes, quick smile and wit, and heavy punch in the arm accompanied by “little matie” will always be near and dear to my heart.

Love you Uncle Harold forever and always xoxo IMG_8384-1

Bonding and connecting is crucially important to me in life…it really is the blood that pulses through my veins.