This evening Chuck and I went to the viewing and will go to the funeral tomorrow of his cousin Kevin who passed away from cancer last Thursday. I knew Kevin long before I knew Chuck. He was a year behind me in school and one of the nicest people I ever knew. He had a distinctive laugh, a wry sense of humor and wasn't one to put himself forward. He made a point of making everyone around him feel comfortable. Even though I hadn't seen him much as an adult I will miss him. He and Chuck spent many days together hiking, backpacking and exploring the outdoors in Copper Basin, the Sawtooths, the Windriver ranges and more. They hiked Mt. Borah in February and didn't skip a beat. Chuck knew him much better than me and I was glad that he got to see him one more time about 10 days ago. to say goodby.
I was expecting to see lots of family but hadn't thought much about other people who I might see and know. I saw people I went to high school with... some I recognized and some definitely not. They all seemed to recognize me - must be the distinctive round noggin. I visited with a lot of them and couldn't help but reflect how quickly time goes and considering the situation how important family, friends and relationships are. I look at where my children are in their stage of life and it seems like only a few months ago that I was right there with babies, finishing school and starting out on careers. It seemed like they would be with me forever. It all goes so quickly.
I joke about being old, but as I've heard it said so many times before that it seems to lose it's impact, I still feel young on the inside. Nothing like seeing a few of your former school mates to bring you back to earth. I guess I just needed to ramble, but I'm feeling nostalgic, and recognizing once again the fragility and shortness of our existence here.
3 comments:
Well said Karen. Kevin is the real deal. One of my happiest memories of him was March 31, 1981Kevin had met me a only a couple of times when I was hiking with Tim yet, when he and Jan saw me at the temple on their wedding day, they found out that I was taking out my endowments for my mission. Kevin invited me on the spot to their wedding! It was meaningful experience. What a lovely gesture! I appreciated sharing their happiness. Plus, I met most of the Whittier's and decided I liked them, a lot! One day, I would join the Whittier family and be in a family with some of the nicest people on the planet.
What a mixed set of feelings this must all invoke. (I've cried at your descriptions even though I hadn't seen Kevin since I was a kid)
It seems he was an example of many good things, and I'm glad for Chuck that he was able to say goodbye in person.
Way to start my day in tears. We heard about Kevin while Roberta & Gordon & his fam were visiting. Very sad. Nice tribute though from you. He sounds like a great guy, but then most of those Whittiers are!
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