Visit to Minneapolis to Say Goodbye to My Brother

Elizabeth Weintraub and her brother John Burgard in Minneapolis.

When my sister and I checked into the hotel that used to be the Minneapolis Athletic Club, the clerk cheerily probed into our personal business, asking the purpose of our visit. Without missing a heartbeat, I said, “We’re here to watch our brother die.” Which is true. This clerk really has no business being so superficially perky with guests and asking such questions of intimacy. He will think twice before he asks that kind of thing again. He must not be from Minneapolis.

People. They mean well. But they don’t know what to say or how to say it.

My brother is not doing well. He will die soon. Much sooner than we had thought. He has already survived almost 3 year with soft cell Sarcoma, but things have progressed. I’ll spare you the details. It’s time to say goodbye to my brother.

He had signed a birthday card for me, and handed it to me himself. It was scrawled the way a child writes, but I know it was his penmanship. My sister made him a “Shore Lunch” which is a special breading for walleye, fried with boiled potatoes and onions, also fried. Much better than I’m making it sound.

The high points of my trip are sellers calling and emailing, asking if I will list their homes. Of course I will. It puts my life into perspective and helps me maneuver the tragedies life throws. It would have been much better had I not left my iPad on the plane, but that’s a small price to pay.

I also drove my sister to Home Depot today and bought her several new faucets because her kitchen and bathroom faucet drip. I installed the bathroom faucet with my own two hands. Will tackle the kitchen faucet tomorrow. Could not believe she did not own a basin wrench. Well, she does now. We both said goodbye to my brother.