Jean Padden Blakley
My Awesome Uncle Tom
Growing up, I had the coolest uncle ever! My Uncle Tom lived all over the world, drove a Mercedes, and when he came into town, everyone was so abuzz! Fun stuff happened when he came to town.
My favorite memory as a kid was when he took me to Grants Five & Dime. I believe it is my very first memory of him. I was probably only about 6 years old. He came to my house and picked me up in his white Mercedes. It just seemed like a car to me, but the grown-ups were always pretty impressed with the name “Mercedes” so I remember sitting in it trying to figure out why it was ‘extra special’. But enough about that silly old car. Let’s get to the important stuff – we went to Grant’s Five & Dime and my amazing Uncle Tom gave me a $5 bill and told me I could pick out anything I wanted to buy! I couldn’t believe it! A whole $5!!! Mind you – that was a lot of money in the early 1960’s! Anyway, I remember looking at all the toys and trying to choose – a daunting task for a 6-year-old. A big long (bright green) stuffed snake caught my attention and held it. He was definitely coming home with me! But wait – he doesn’t even cost the whole $5! I get to choose another toy! It took awhile, but finally I settled on a little game called “A Barrel of Monkeys”. Then we drove home in that Mercedes. Me and my awesome Uncle Tom! And my big green Snake. And my Barrel of Monkeys. I couldn’t wait to tell all my friends at school about my amazing Uncle Tom. That snake stayed on my bed throughout my entire childhood. I believe my mom picked my bright green curtains to match that snake. And I played the heck out of that Barrel of Monkeys game. And I always remember that trip to Grant’s with my amazing Uncle Tom!
My adult memories fall into three main categories.
1. Family Gatherings: As Uncle Tom lived on so many different continents and islands…and I settled in Florida, our times together were fleeting. One main family reunion gathering that brought us both back to Pittsburgh was Grandma’s 85th Birthday in August 1985.
2. There When Needed: I remember calling him when my dad (his brother) was hospitalized in Miami with his second major heart attack in 1990. He was here in a matter of hours (we finally lived in the same state!). That’s when I learned that no matter how many different bottles I had in my liquor cabinet…I was missing the most important one to my uncle – sweet vermouth! Boy, did I get a lecture! I made sure to have it the next time I needed him, when my dad passed in 1994 and he spent over 24 hours traveling to Pittsburgh from Scotland to be there for the funeral and wake (I think I had to have the owner of the establishment order it in special for him).
3. A Substitute Granddaddy for Jessica: The one thing I could never give my daughter was an opportunity to meet her Granddaddy…but I could give her an opportunity to know him…which I did through telling her “Granddaddy Stories” throughout her childhood. It was a ritual of ours and when she first met Uncle Tom, I seized the opportunity to tell her that this is the closest she will ever get to meeting her Granddaddy, as Uncle Tom is his brother. Uncle Tom obliged me by building on my stories with his first-hand knowledge and resemblance. It warmed my heart and still brings tears to my eyes to see them together. I will always be grateful that she has had this opportunity to know a man so much like her Granddaddy (and yet so different, too!!!).
Well, there you have it…just a few of my favorite memories of my awesome and amazing Uncle Tom! As an only child, I am so very grateful to have been included as a part of this awesome Padden Clan, as I am and will always remain a loyal and proud Padden! Even more importantly, I am so happy that Jessica has the opportunity to know her awesome Padden side of her family.
Thanks for the memories...You will always be in my heart.
