The Adams family in Brooktondale

My name is Emily Adams. I moved back to my childhood home in Brooktondale in 2015 when my mother passed away, bringing my Dutch husband Paulus Dominicus with me. We lived (until recently 😥)  with my father, Barry Adams, who decided after my mom passed that he didn't want to give up his cats, his bird feeders, and his books to go to assisted living. We built him an apartment instead, where the family garage used to be, and now Paulus and I are busy remodeling the main house (while also living in it) to make it entirely green and eco-friendly.

The cooperative extended-family arrangement suited us all! I pursued many community and political activities from home, where I could also be nearby if my father needed anything. Paulus has adjusted well to life in America, and works in the "gig economy" as a handyman and painter. (Until recently) Barry loved his new electric car (he caught the green bug from us) and continued to attend and teach classes at Lifelong.

My wonderful father passed away on December 31st, 2024. The funeral was held in January. In July, we held a Celebration of Life and Community to honor him, and also my mother Molly Adams, and our community.

The emptiness and grief have been hard for me to process. I wasn't sure how to manage it, but I found myself signing up for voice lessons, hoping I'd be able to sing my way through it and maybe even sing something at the Celebration of Life. I've always been too anxious to sing FOR someone, solo, and I'm sad that I never sang for my father, knowing that he was such a big fan of opera and Gilbert & Sullivan and music in general. My teacher Marty succeeded in getting me up in front of the group to sing "The Lowest Trees" by John Dowland. I love the words to the song -- they remind me of my father. We are humble people, but we all have our strengths, we make a difference even if it seems imperceptible, and "love is love, in beggars and in kings."

This November, almost one year from my father's passing, our mutual friend (and acupuncturist) Anthony Fazio passed away also. Anthony was just 74, and in excellent health just a few months ago. It is another heavy weight on my soul, made lighter somewhat by imagining my father and Anthony together in the after world, telling jokes and looking down at our world with empathy and perhaps some bits of advice.

I'm looking to my father now, and Anthony, for divine assistance as we launch a new project in 2026: a guest house for friends and family (and their friends and family...), based on the "pay what you can / pay it forward" principle. Read more at the link below.