On losing a friend
My friend Hans passed away last week. For those who don’t know him, my meager words could not capture the essence of his greatness. He is a man with a huge heart and an unparalleled zest for life. I haven’t spent much time putting my thoughts into words – I could not bear to look at them. I’ve been having trouble pinning down how I feel. The sweet memories of him are all jumbled up with the pain of his loss. Today I decided to jot down a few ideas for his life celebration (funeral is too macabre for my taste).
I got so excited about the idea of working on celebration that for a second I forgot that Hans was dead. I wanted to call him and say, “Hans! I have so many ideas you’ll love and I want tell you all about them. I love you!” Then I remembered that we were doing all of this because he was gone, and I couldn’t call him anymore. Incredible waves of sadness.
For that one second, though it truly felt like he was here; as if he would give his big hearty laugh and say, “Sure Karen. What can I do to help?”. He lives on in my thoughts still and I don’t want that to ever ever change. I feel truly blessed to know this loving gentle Viking. I can only honor his memory by doing what he does best – living life to the fullest.
Don’t forget to tell your friends and family you love them. You won’t regret saying it too many times, but you may regret not saying it enough.
