Normally, I write humorous pieces. This time, however, it will be a bit more somber. 2020 has been a very trying year for so many people. Politics, pandemic, poverty, closures, and more have changed many people into different versions of themselves.
Then there are those who leave us forever. The chance to say goodbye at a funeral is gone. My story is about a good man. A man who was always laughing, smiling no matter where or when.
I first met Fred and his wife when I was a young widow. They lived next door to Vincent, the widower who would become my husband. On one of our first dates, we attended their annual Christmas party. They welcomed me with open arms, and that night, at a party full of laughing guests, on a tattered old love seat I fell in love. The next year we attended the Christmas party as a married couple.
Every year after that one we would attend that same Christmas party, on that same first Saturday in December, and sit on that same love seat. Oh, we’d sometimes complain about the games of word search and how many M & M’s were in the jar. I’d joke that it seemed more like school. Then it was time for the gift game. Vincent and I each brought a gift that became a
game of stealing and keeping. More times than not I ended up with another item to put in my goodwill box.
Through it all, Fred always led the party. He enjoyed talking to everyone and especially being an emcee for the games. When all the others went to their home and families, decorations, and gift wrapping, we stayed to catch up. The kids were growing up. This one was graduating, that one got married. The pet they had was no longer with them. We were always the last to leave. And as we left it was always, see you same time next year.
The years passed. The parties changed guests, the baby next door became a toddler, and then a young lady. But we always stayed and caught up with our lives after all the others had left. And Fred always wanted to discuss my latest blog post.
You see, Fred was my biggest fan. He would laughingly talk to me about my newest story. And if I hadn’t posted he would encourage me to write some more. Time and life whizzed by and my blog took a back seat.
Then, two years ago, Fred and his wife stopped the parties due to a family illness. The only connection I had was through occasional emails.
Yesterday, we got a phone call that Fred had passed on. I can close my eyes and still see his jovial smiling face as he handed out word search papers for his games. It couldn’t be that so lively and vivacious a person would be gone from this world. There would be no funeral, no memorial in a pandemic world. So, this is my memorial to Fred. I will remember his love for life. I will remember his steadfast adoration of his wife. I will remember his joy and vivre. And if there is a heaven, he is acting emcee and handing out word search papers. And I know he will be reading this post and laughing.