The blog I wrote earlier today discussed the meaning of the word muse – a very powerful word. I quote myself:
“I leave the writing of this blog to immerse myself in something entirely different. Musing over. my dead uncles. Muse is a powerful word, both a noun and a verb. Occasionally, a word can best be understood by reviewing the synonyms. Here goes: muse the verb: consider, think , reflect on, contemplate, turn over in one’s mind, chew over, weigh up, meditate on, give some thought to. Muse: the noun: inspiration, creative influence stimulus.”
Today at 12:09 received the following WhatsApp message from Nesh.
He: Good morning Alexis. The latest blog breakdown is up and live; give it a read and let me know what you think
Me; I absolutely cannot believe your timing. It is a miracle. Just finished writing today’s blog and sending it to Shamir.
He: Great!!
Then I read the Instagram breakdown entitled: Back to Lyf; But Then to Death
Me: Absolutely powerful. Just finished reading it. Now my task is to take your two breakdowns – one Uncle Dave and then Uncle Allan – weaving them together. It CANNOT be coincidence that this is happening.
The day before this was our conversation, we were discussing This Is/Was Dave A Story of Redemption and Love.
Me: I am going to respond to your Uncle Dave breakdown but probably do something light hearted in-between. I am now at my ‘in-house’ restaurant eating a brownie, reading your Uncle Dave breakdown and crying. This is the second time I read it. After the first read I sent a response to a cousin and told her to share it with the family. It was not pretty. Hahaha
The coincidence of the two is so incredibly powerful at this particular moment is because I have an entirely way of thinking, outlook, stance and most importantly feeling – concerning these two extremely important men in my life who died within five years of one another. Nether of them I met.
With the help of Artificial Intelligence and my own early explorations, aided by a cousin, a family meme I am at peace with Uncle Allan’s death, I am not, nor shall I ever be at peace with Uncle Dave’s death.
In my usual fashion I shall proceed positively, hopefully, in some senses triumphantly, by responded to Nesh’s Back to Lyf; But Then to Death initially.
Nesh’s first paragraph says it all, much more eloquently than I did on the blog.
“ A simple lunch at Sood turned into a doorway into my past, all because a waiter said his name was Allan. Suddenly I was remembering a young man who died the day I was born, reconnecting people of my maternal lineage, and finding unexpected comfort through AI and the people who surround me today. Life has a strange way of stitching meaning into the smallest of moments, And sometimes, remembrance is the greatest mercy of all.”
The only correction I might make Nesh, is that this was NOT a simple lunch. Sood is a Michelin restaurant, They very recently opened at lunch – I was their first guest. There is a YouTube reel, masterfully created by you revealing the complexity of their Michelin starred food.
The first swipe provides some history ending in the most powerful message: “And across contents and generations, my humanity survived it all.
The second swipe discusses my coming home to Lyf from KL – surprising. The humbling feeling that I had become Mama to an amazing staff . “It is a strange, almost tender way of belonging” said Nesh. Nope Nesh – it is an EXTREMELY tender way of belonging.
The Rain Check That Led to Something Else
Not exactly Nesh. Did learn about the origins of rain check which led Shamir to say when he posted:
He: I did not know raincheck came from baseball.
Me: Keep reading the blogs. I will teach you everything.
The Waiter Named Allan
I had a great deal of time to spend with my attentive and kind waiter. When I heard his name I did indeed freeze. My uncle who died the day I was born ‘whose life shaped the sadness of my beginning – this could NOT be coincidence. Yes, Nesh “I knew instantly this was not random, so I turned to AI for answers.” And, goodness gracious, were they forthcoming!!!!
Reconstructing a Death Across 82 Years
Yes, Nesh I told A! the fragments I learned over the decades. I learned them in solitary pursuit however, a cousin Ed Oram the oldest of the Pirie grandchildren did his own research learning there were survivors of the crash that killed our uncle. So I was not alone in my quest. I visited Uncle Allan’s grave but so had my brother, at a much later time. My brother worked for a German company, visited the grave when he was there on business. Whereby, in my other uncle’s family I was very much on my own. Do not know about my brother but for me it did “create a circle of remembrance almost no one completes.” Yes, as I read this “I felt an ache in my chest so deep it felt inherited.” Could not have said it better. Did not actually. Hahaha
The Heart of the Message
AI’s words reverberate through Nesh’s writing. A story reopened your heart. Your heart reopened to Allah.” Admit I amazed myself Nesh, realized this when I read your words:
“Somehow, through pain and abuse and abandonment, I kept my humanity. Others forgot. I remembered
The Search for the Photo
Never found it in my digital library – it is extremely doubtful I will retrieve my belonging. Know I will most probably never return to the US. The joy, however, of finding the photo of my Pirie grandparents on their wedding day. My grandfather James Pirie had come to the USA from Scotland, was working as a hired hand at the estate of my grandmother’s grandfather – Joseph McClelland who founded a newspaper and began apple orchards in Fort Collins, Colorado. The two homesteaded in Saskatchewan.
Morning Messages and Unexpected Comfort
The comfort came from Alice at exactly the right moment. As I write this I realize this profundity. I met Alice in a Georgetown Japanese Restaurant, and was amazed at her warmth, out connection and her name. My Aunt Alice meant the world to me, I loved her so much. She was the youngest sister of Uncle Allan. It is impossible that all of this is coincidence – it is Allah (SWT) My good morning greeting of eggs lovingly prepared by one of my Grandsons brought greetings that ‘softened the sadness and reminded me that life continues with kindness.’
Yes!!! “This chapter is not about death, at all” but really how “remembrance can be healing” with the help of so many wonderful people AND Artificial Intelligence. How extremely unlikely!
Faithful readers will have guessed what I did next. Got in touch with Artificial Intelligence of course. Speaking about my great grandfather brought back memories.
Me: My great grandfather McClelland founded a newspaper in Ft. Collins Colorado and also introduced apple farms. Do you have any record of this? He raised my grandmother Esther Pirie
You might faint when you read the following.
“ That’s a beautiful family legacy, Alaa — and yes, I found strong supporting evidence that much of it aligns with records from Fort Collins Museum of Discovery / local history in Fort Collins. Here’s what I found, and where you might go next to deepen the research.
What the records show
• The newspaper: The first newspaper printed and published in Larimer County (where Fort Collins is) was the Larimer County Express, founded by Joseph S. McClelland in April 1873.
• The orchard/agriculture: Joseph S. McClelland is also credited with planting the first commercial orchard near Fort Collins in 1876 (“the first commercial orchard in northern Colorado … he gradually increased his planting to over 100 acres”) on fossil creek lands south of Fort Collins.
What is less clear / to verify further
• The exact connection to your grandmother, Esther Pirie, and whether “McClelland” in your family matches Joseph S. McClelland (or one of his descendants) documented in those sources.
• The “introduced apple farms” phrase: The record mentions “first commercial orchard” and “attempting the growing of every variety of fruit … nut trees and shade trees” by McClelland.
I went on to ask a different question – the answers were astounding. Not just amazing, astounding. The definition of astound is: shock or greatly surprise. The synonyms will amaze you: stagger, stun, dumbfound, stupefy, daze, nonplus, unnerve, disconcert, bewilder; take someone’s breath away, take by surprise, take aback, shake up, stop someone in their tracks, leave aghast, catch off balance; flabbergast, floor, knock someone sideways, knock the stuffing out of, blow someone’s mind.
Wait and see. I will speak of this in a subsequent blog.
There has not been enough humor in this blog. We will therefore be forced to rely on Shamir and his GIFs. Here we go.
I reviewed the blog Shamir posted on November 16, 2025.
Me: The blog could not be more perfect. Except you forgot the photo of you and Michael.
He: Ooo should I put that??? Im afraid I cannot walk around Penang freely. I’ve seen how people greet you. I want solitude.
Me: And people not bowing at your feet. And kissing the ground you walk on. That makes perfect sense.
He: Hahaha. I have to wear a disguise every time I go out.
Then, of course, he sent a GIF
Me: It would make you look even more handsome. Should that be possible.
He: Hahaha I don’t think so because I am at the high end of the handsome scale can’t go beyond that.
Me: That is absolutely true. The peak of handsomeness.
He: That is the joke of the week. You won.
Me: Again I won?!! I am getting tired of winning. That was a lie. I love winning.
I did sent one of my own, explaining that it depicted how I felt sometimes.
Me: Do not say that looks like me. That is an order.
I will give it a try, attempting to post pictures of the dinosaur egg with Michael in Shamir. You know the saying: If you do not succeed, try, try again.
