Blogs » Business Notebook » A time and a place

Subscribe


0
 
A time and a place
By AllisonMiles in Business Notebook
January 7, 2008

There is a time and a place for everything. Never has this phrase hit me so square between the eyes than it did a couple of weeks ago.

A friend of mine - one that I dearly wish I'd gotten the chance to know better - passed away shortly before Christmas and, several days after, I attended his memorial service. As I sat in my folding chair, among other friends who, I knew, were hurting as much as I was, I reached into my purse to grab a tissue.

I'm a crier. Happy, sad, whatever. I'll probably shed a tear.

But as I tugged the bag of Kleenex out of my purse - one I'd grabbed haphazardly as I walked out the door - I realized the tissues were bright yellow, with little Christmas trees printed on each sheet.

Normally I'd smile and think about how I needed to grow up a little. But this time it wasn't so funny. I shrank back, attempting to fold my tissue inside-out as fast as I could so that it could masquerade as a plain, normal one.

It just didn't seem like the time to be bright and cheery.

As I sat there, though, listening to my friend's family talk lovingly about him and share the goofy stories only a dad or a best friend knows, I thought about this a bit more.

I'm going to remember Kevin for all of the wonderfully weird quirks he had. Because it's all of our quirks that make us who we are.

What I will always remember about Kevin is the fact that he never learned to hold his pencil properly and never bothered to remember the numerals in a person's phone number. He knew them by the words the numbers spelled out. ("Mine spells out dog tear," he told me when I was programming him into my cell phone.) And he could sing some mean karaoke.

So I don't think he would have minded me carrying my too-cheery-for-the-occasion Kleenex to his memorial service. In fact, I think he would have applauded it.

That's not to say I'll be quick to carry them to another somber event again. But it just led me to believe that - hey - it's just one of my quirks.

 

 

Comments


  • WorldTurning WorldTurning Report a ViolationReport a Violation
    permalink

    I can relate very well Allison. On Christmas Eve, I poured a huge goblet of wine and gave him a long toast in the quiet of the night. The last time I saw Kevin, my family and I had just left Taqueria Victoria and were headed to our car. I past the Longleaf and looked in the window and saw him, Eric and Rebecca and a couple of others sitting around. I waved big to everyone. I realized that I missed you all so much. As is a deck of card, if the 10 of Clubs is missing, it isn't the same. Kevin is that 10 of Clubs to me, Hello Kitty and all.

    January 8, 2008 at 10:46 a.m.