I lost someone dear to my family around the holidays.  A drunk driver struck and killed the B man, his wife, and her parents.  In one swoop, on Christmas Eve.  My brother did the courageous thing and did the eulogy.   While I broke down and wailed with my face covered in the balcony.  

I don’t remember life before him.  I think I was maybe a year old when we met.  Our dads played on the same major league baseball team.  The Pirates.  During the “We are Family” days.  We lived next to them in Pittsburgh, we lived next to them in Florida for spring training.  We vacationed together.  We would spend weeks at the beach, both getting freckled from head to toe. Our families were almost always together.  I’ve always considered him and his brother, my brothers.  I grew up thinking the B man was the coolest dirt road dude out there.  He’d actually let me play with his GI joes with my barbies.  Then on vacations he’d stun me with his ability to multiply in his head.  He was a petite genius.  When we got older I treated him like you treat an older brother … often rolling my eyes at him, but not so secretly loving him.  I can still hear him calling me “Smo-oooooo!”  whenever he spotted me. 

 I remember him and his sweet Julia at my wedding.  I now cherish the photo Jessica took of them there.   I’m so thankful to have that shot.  When I think about them, I think about two people who loved each other wholeheartedly, and that they were content with each other and life.  What a legacy of peace.

They gave us the softest plushest ralph lauren towels for our wedding.  If you are ever a guest at my house, those are what you’ll get.  Now, I use them not just for guests.  For all the time.   They make me smile.  Wedding gifts often do.  I oddly remember what everyone gave us (we had 225 people at our wedding!), when I’m putting on sheets I remember the person who gave them; I say a little prayer, it makes me smile.  And it’s funny that my towels means so much to me now.  But I am so thankful for those towels today.

I would have gotten married with ten people at my wedding if it were up to me.  But today I am grateful I did not.  I’m so thankful for photographs I’ll cherish, and towels too.  Sometimes a tangible object, a towel even and a photograph, give you a little piece (and peace) of people you will forever cherish.

b man and sweet julia, you are missed. cherished. loved.