Leon West

Leon was my mother's first cousin. He was a Vietnam veteran and one of the sweetest men I've ever known. In the early 70s he lived with me and my parents and became the first person outside of my parents I remember loving. He was brilliant. There was nothing he couldn't do. He was also a talented photographer and the picture I treasure the most was taken by him. He babysat me, he played with me, he was the only one who thought I was beautiful and told me so regularly. But Leon was troubled. And like many in our family who have had struggles with mental illness, he turned to alcohol to stop the demons from haunting him. My father refused to have that behavior around me and told him to leave. After that he was in and out of our lives. We always knew where he was, my uncle would see him in Harlem, or he'd call my mother to see if she was okay. But eventually he stopped. And I supposed we all thought he was working it all out. I wish he was here to see my kids, my husband, my life. It's one of my greatest regrets that I failed him.