My Absence

I lost both a friend, and a man who was like a second father to me very recently.

My friend Shae was a good man whom I admired greatly for his dedication to and immense love for his wife and children. I can only hope I will be as brave, strong, and dignified when my time comes. I will miss his love of things both social and nerdy. He was an avid role-player and Magic: The Gathering player, a lover of everything pirate, a fantastic cook, and a skilled host with a gentlemanly character. The world is a considerably darker place without Shae Hagarty in it.

Mr. Alan Impey is my best friend's dad. I spent as much time at their house from the ages of 9 to 21 as I did my own. Their family was mine, and my family was my buddy Brian's family. Our dads are both gone now, with only Mr. Cooper, our other surrogate dad, remaining. I can still see Mr. Impey's face, and hear his voice, like my own father's.

Shae and Mr. Impey lost their respective fights with cancer within six days of each other. A hard couple weeks.

I heard it said somewhere... though I can't remember where... that there comes a point in a person's life where life stops giving you things, and begins taking them away.

Am I really that old?

Fuck.