When I think of my best friend Pete’s father, I think of Frank Sinatra, and the song, “That’s Life.” I’ll never forget getting the call from Pete that his father was dying. I was at his house no more than 5 minutes after he called me, and when I arrived the scene was bleak. I’ll never forget when Pete opened the door to let me in. He looked ghostly pale and his face was blank. It sent a chill down my spine. In a way he seemed relieved.
His father had been battling cancer for more than 10 years and never complained about it once. He only told everyone about 2 years before his passing, when it began to get bad. Mr. Guasti was such a strong man, he worked 50+ hour weeks, came to our sporting events, and never missed a Sunday dinner. Even on his deathbed, he worked for IBM, helping his coworkers begin to adjust to what work life would be like after his passing. A man who had been beaten down, and out of luck, remained so strong, positive, and caring. About 2 weeks before his passing I visited him, and he forced a big smile on his face. Through all the pain and medications he was on, he still managed a smile and asked about how I was.
Frank Sinatra was his favorite artist, and he was played throughout the house near the end of his life. When Frank Sinatra sings the chorus he says, "each time I find myself flat on my face, I pick myself up and get back in the race" followed by “That’s Life” and it still ticks with me. Mr. Guasti is such an inspiration to me, and by hearing Sinatra it reminds me of the strength and love that Mr. Guasti always showed.
Being at his passing was a gift for me. Being able to be a part of the group of 25 close friends and a few family members all packed together in their living room, I was honored and blessed to be surrounded by such people. And the fact that they were there for Mr. Guasti speaks volumes about him as a person. This room I have watched so many movies, laughed so many times, I’ve cried there, and I lost there. And Sinatra will always be a reminder of his life, and all of the great memories.
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