Reck Family Christmas Letter 2011

My Mom sends out the annual Christmas letter to her family and friends and normally I don't share it with the world. But this year I wrote it and naturally it is mostly about Timmy. Since we can't mail a copy to everyone I decided that it was easiest to put it on here and share it with everyone on Facebook. So here you go. I have decided to quote a couple of songs in this year's Christmas letter. Click below to play them.

 I am thankful for you friends for giving me all that I have. I am thankful for everything, and everything you gave me. – “Friend” by Tim Reck, from his album 42 Days (2002)
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As you can all imagine, 2011 was a very difficult and life changing year for our family. Tim’s sudden death in April left us all with a huge hole in our hearts and a lot of unanswerable questions. This last year has been spent mostly dealing with the physical, psychological and emotional loss of the youngest member of our family. But the holiday season is once again upon us, which is the traditional time of year to send out our annual Reck Family Christmas Letter. While it would be far easier (trust me) to skip writing the letter this year, we decided to remain true to our traditions. Timmy was the keeper of traditions in this family, but it wouldn’t be right to stop the Reck Family traditions that I know you have come to look forward to. So without further ado, my name is Scott Reck and this is the Christmas Letter. 
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Losing a family member is a very sad thing and I could go on for hours about how much our lives have changed. How much time do you have? But seriously I don’t want to dwell on the negatives because we have seen so many positives this past year that deserve mention. In this season of giving thanks, we want to say a huge thank you to you – our family and friends who have helped us through this tragedy. Whether it was a hug, a phone call, a small gift out of nowhere, money to help with the funeral costs, letters of love and encouragement or a free meal; we have appreciated everything you have done for us. Our support system is the only reason we are able to start healing and continue on through this journey we call life. So thank you. Thank you, thank you, thank you. We can’t say it enough. But this process will be ongoing for the rest of our lives, so keep those hugs and free eats coming, ok?

Right now Kris is happy to be done with another semester of school at UWM. Only a few more years until she graduates with a degree in Educational Studies with an emphasis on Early Childhood. And she is also looking forward to Christmas break and some time off from the kids at Sherman Park Preschool. Don’t get me wrong, she loves her job as evident by the fact that she has been there for 28 years, but when you deal with 3 year olds and the messes they create on a daily basis, you’d need a vacation too. Kris still lives in Milwaukee with her dog Gracie and graciously opens up her home (and refrigerator) to all of her children, even the ones who technically don’t belong to her. Aside from teaching, going to school, studying, writing papers, helping those less fortunate, singing at St. Catherine’s and being the greatest Mother in the world, she still finds time for everyone who needs it. I don’t know how she does it. Her strength throughout this past year is inspiring. She’s incredible, and I know I speak for everyone when I say we are all lucky to have her in our lives.

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James and his wife Melissa have been living in Columbia, South Carolina for almost 3 years. This past May they celebrated their 1 year wedding anniversary. This summer they bought a beautiful house in Columbia. I have been there personally and have inspected it inside and out, and I am proud to say that it is a wonderful place to raise their dogs. Yep, that plural was intentional. They have a 2 year old female Weimaraner named Baya and in October they adopted a 4 year old male Weimaraner which they named Tucker. James still works for Home Depot as a Contractor Services Manager and Melissa works for the Columbia Police Department and at several schools teaching the D.A.R.E. program. They enjoy taking the dogs to the dog park hoping to burn off some of the boundless energy the dogs have (but it doesn’t work) and going to the local pub Schooner’s to watch the Green Bay Packers games. They love living in South Carolina where the average winter temperature is 46 degrees, but they still look forward to coming back home to Wisconsin every chance they get.

Remember when I said Kris opened her house to everyone? I meant it in a big way. I took a few years off of writing this letter to “find myself” through meditation (I am an artist) but now I’m back. Things kind of got turned upside down when I lost my best friend and June’s Blanket band member, so I moved back home so I could sort it all out. My Roommate accepted me and my cat Coach Gordon Bombay with open arms, and although she probably regrets it now, we’ve had some good times living together. I still work at Mark Travel Corporation, so keep me employed by booking your next trip through Funjet Vacations. This past summer was my 10th year at Miller Park and what a year it was. Thankfully the NL Central Division Champion Milwaukee Brewers were able to provide a fun and exciting distraction, but they fell a little bit short of reaching the World Series. Oh well, there’s always next year. I promised Timmy that I’d get better at guitar, and jamming with friends has become my new hobby when I’m not tirelessly working on my websites Pookon.com, TimReck.com or adding all sorts of Tim’s music, pictures and videos to The Reck Room page on Facebook. There’s always something going on in my life and I’d like to personally thank all of my friends and family who have helped to keep me busy.

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Jenny is still living on Milwaukee’s Eastside with her cat Higgins. Up until recently she had been working at a Life Insurance firm but she has since been laid off. The economy sometimes hits pretty hard at home, so if you know anyone looking for a dedicated, hard working and intelligent person please let her know. She is ready and willing to fill out an application and interview. Jenny continues to follow her favorite band Umphrey’s McGee and goes to their concerts every time they are around, be it in Milwaukee, Madison, Chicago, Minneapolis and even Denver, Colorado. Music is a very important part of Jenny’s life, and it is something that has and will continue to bond her with Timmy. Her diligence to share his talent and legacy with others is admirable. Jenny has been instrumental in the healing process because she possesses many of the qualities that I loved most about Timmy, and she has become the person I go to when I need someone. She’s the Garth to my Wayne.

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I’d like to think that there is a heaven and that Timmy is up there with God and all the Angels jamming in the Heavenly Band. Timmy loved music and history. Think of all the cool people he gets to meet. One day he could be talking about the Civil War with Abraham Lincoln and the next day he could be trading solos with Jimi Hendrix. Plus he gets to finally meet one of his idols and musical inspirations - Harry Chapin. Timmy is missed by friends and family alike and we will never forget about his inability to take a “nice” picture without a goofy look on his face, watching him play guitar and drums and marveling at his talent and falling for his engaging personality. There are so many things in life that will continue to remind us of him, and I hope you carry some of those things with you. That way he’s always with us. Things will never be the same, but the memories and the impact he had on our lives will never go away. If you have yet to get a copy of any of his 6 CDs please contact us or head over to TimReck.com to listen online. We are thankful that he left behind his music for us to listen to so we can always hear his voice.
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In this holiday season please remember those less fortunate and give whatever you can. I am pleased to report that Timmy was an organ donor, and we recently received word from the Wisconsin Donor Network that the people who now have his heart, lungs, kidneys and liver are all doing well and thanks to Timmy, they are able to spend this Christmas Season with their families. There’s comfort in knowing some good was able to come out of this tragic loss. We have also seen the kindness and generosity of others and it is nothing short of amazing. God bless you all, and thank you from the bottom of my heart. From my family to yours – Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays.

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The Reck Family

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It seems like I've been here before, I can't remember when. But I have this funny feeling that we'll all be together again. No straight lines make up my life, and all my roads have bends. There's no clear-cut beginnings, and so far no dead-ends.- “Circle” by Harry Chapin, from his album Sniper and Other Love Songs (1972)
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