Anthony: Happy Christmas, Jules.
Me: Yes, sorry, Ants, but it has been too hot for me to remember to miss you. It’s 40 degrees!
Anthony: I hovered briefly over your Christmas Eve festivities and I was deeply impressed.
Me: Are you annoyed, Ants? Your sarcasm is horrible! “Deeply impressed”? Okay, so I forgot to toast you; I forgot to do the ‘absent friends’ toast. I’m sorry!
Anthony: That’s all right, Jules.
Me: Your benevolence is breathtaking, Ants, and I don’t like it. You aren’t the only dead person I know!
Anthony: I just want to be remembered.
Me: Well guess what – Tully is reading a book about the brain and there is a section about Parkinson’s Disease and Tully mentioned you.
Anthony: Tully is a fine young woman and a superior niece amongst a throng of nieces I already have. So, if she wants to use me as a retrospective guinea pig in her studies, so be it.
Me: If you could possibly get over your dead self for just a second, I wanted to tell you that Tully always refers to you as “Uncle Anthony” and, every time she does that, I am reminded that you ARE remembered, Ants.
PAUSE
Me: So are you off to the ‘humble pie’ dining room, Ants?
Anthony: Tell Tully I appreciate it, please, Jules?
Me: Tell her yourself, Uncle Anthony
jmgoyder 
I liked this