10.26.09
April come she will
Listen. September was awful. I got sick and was dragging my ass around and then I started to get better. And then. Someone I love passed away and…yeah. That one hurts. I’m not going to write about it because it’s not really mine to write about (it was my best friend’s dad, and although he was like a second dad to me, I could never do her grief justice) except to say being remembered for all the laughter and music you brought into everyone’s life can only mean a life well lived and loved. Would that more of us could be so gracious and open-armed.
I went home for the funeral and we couldn’t afford to fly Kieran out too and I was sad and alone at all the wrong times and cried a lot and then I came home with a fever and got sicker than ever. (I know the words SWINE FLU just came flying at you in big black letters, but, uh, I dunno. I don’t think so? Probably not? OK?)
And then it was Thanksgiving and we drove home through a freak early snowstorm and next thing I knew we were with my best friend and her family for Thanksgiving dinner and Kieran was hanging her son by his ankles and she and I were giggling on the couch about our Grade 5 teacher and the hole that was torn in my heart when I saw her crying for her dad at the funeral began to heal over.
The next day we were surrounded by my own family and in-laws from all corners, and my cousin’s kids were adorable and fun and awesome as always.
As was Kieran’s mini-me baby brother.
And then we were in Calgary with my dear friend Karla, stuffing ourselves with homemade pizza and cupcakes and laughing until we cried about that time I drove for a really, really long time on a really, really flat tire with Karla as my passenger going, “Dude. I THINK SOMETHING’S WRONG WITH YOUR TRUCK.” Then, the next day, because Kieran had never had it and it’s a Calgary institution, we got Pete’s Drive-in and then rolled about like beached whales and groaned dramatically while rubbing our Buddha bellies. And finally, between all the friends and food and cousins and giggling, I was full up again.
———————————-
Because this is a post that should not be without music, here’s an old favourite of mine, a song Rob introduced me to when he played it for us kids at the lake cabin…he was perhaps the only person I’ve known who could do Simon and Garfunkel justice.
Rest in peace.