Last Year

It’s been 23 days.

We memorialized you. Your prayer card is tucked within the corner of a picture frame, on the table. An angel figurine, hands pressed together, watches over your picture. A glowing candle; a light in the dark. How can this be?

Life keeps moving. The sun rises and falls. The moon and stars take their place in the night sky, once more. Gardens grow, flowers feed buzzing creatures and birds of every color. The waves on the shore still lap. The fish still swirl, beckoning for the worm on the hook. Fireflies twinkle amongst the tall grassy reeds. Summer still sings her melodic song. Time marches on.

I needed more time. Our friendship, just blossoming. We should be celebrating your Birthday, this weekend. We would have been the same age, you and I. We should be meeting up at the downtown car show, or drinking beer at the local tap room, like we did last year.

We should be looking forward to enjoying another fish fry at the Legion hall. Or talking about our high school sophomores. How can this be? Or throwing axes and sitting around a bonfire, to ward off the chilly fall air. Or gathering in your new kitchen, welcomed as family. Laughing, filling our plates and belly’s with Thanksgiving turkey, pheasant jalapeño poppers and all the trimmings.

I’ll be sure to make the balsamic-roasted brussels sprouts…like we did last year.

I miss you my friend. I think about you every day. You were and continue to be a treasure. Your name is written on my heart.

I needed more time. We all did.