Forever Young

Today has been one of those days..despite the sunshine and lovely company, my heart is heavy today and the only sky above my head was a grey one. 

 Thankfully, it's now the quiet of the night..the wee monster has been bathed, fed and tucked into his little bed, the glowing nightlight casting soft shadows that gently lull him to sleep.  

Tiny chubby fingers clutching the tail of this favorite toy, quiet whistling noises from his 

perfect puckered lips.

Tomorrow will be a hard day, a day when many of us will gather to celebrate the life of an old friend, to also mourn the loss of a life cut too short.  

Coincidentally, on the day I received the shocking news I also received news of a new beginning - a perfect baby boy born into the lives of dear old friends.  

Although the wonderful news did little to lessen the shock of our sudden loss,  I was made painfully aware of the clock-like efficiency of mother nature

as one life ends, another begins..

What can I write that hasn't already been said about you?  

A creative force to be reckoned with, a tortured mind that nobody could reach out and heal.  

You leave in your wake so many people who loved you, so many lives you touched and changed.  

To be quite frank, you knew the dirtiest jokes of anyone I'd ever met and loved the reaction of telling them at the most inappropriate times.  

You made us all laugh..and I loved that about you.

  

I can proudly say that I can now keep up with all the guy talk at work, thanks to the years of working with you.  

The time my car got stuck in the snow driving into work with you and as you stepped outside to give us a push, you stepped into a steaming pile of dog crap in the snow.  

Then you slipped and fell.  

Then you did a face plant while you were pushing the car and it suddenly became unstuck.

We laughed so hard I had to stop the car

and we got stuck again. 

It'd been a little while since I saw you last, we chatted not two months ago and we were going to try to get together in the next while so you could meet Leo.

  

How will you meet Leo now? 

How will your own little boy ever know exactly how talented and kind you were?

How will he know how much he was loved? 

You leave behind you so many broken hearts, 

struggling to understand, 

fighting to accept, 

wanting to forgive. 

And when we're all old and grey, 

you will be forever young, 

forever loved.

My heartfelt condolences to his family, M & N, and little A.  Sending you much love, light and prayers.

xo