Five years

Some things are hard to remember - some things that should be impossible to forget. For some reason I cannot stamp today's date, an anniversary, with the memory of an unbelievably horrible loss, without being reminded by the person who it hurt the very most. Every year it comes and I know its approximate timing, because I selfishly remember what was going on in my life at that time. But the date always escapes me. And I can't write it down because you don't write things like that down.

But, here are some things that I do remember:

• He taught us to ride mountain bikes on an actual mountain and made us feel so cool to be riding with him in the woods. He took it easy on us without letting us realize he was taking it easy on us.
• He drove us places, sometimes, but not too much, so he wouldn't seem like he was being too nice to us.
• I'm pretty sure he never made fun of us when we played with our dolls way past the "appropriate" age for playing with dolls.
• He didn't get mad at me when I slammed into the back of his brand new car with my car by accident. And he never told on me.
• He was the first to show me what it meant to be a Yankees fan.
• He loved his sisters so very much.
• He loved music (and his dog) almost as much.

Even though it's been way more than five years since I've known him, I miss him. I miss him for his sisters and for his parents, but I miss him for me too. The world was a better place with him in it. Maybe that's part of the reason why my brain refuses to remember the day he left.

Comments

[Can-Can]

I feel your pain and tribute to this wonderful person. The cliche that "only the good die young" comes to mind and even if this gentleman wasn't young when he passed, it was clearly too soon. Please accept my sympathy.