Earlier this month, I attended a beautiful memorial service for our friend Chris. He passed on July 31st of this year, and it was devastating loss. The service and the setting were beautiful. I also had a chance to speak about our friend, and today's blog will include my speech and reflections of Chris.
(Photo left: Our friend Chris doing what he loved- biking cross country.)
THE MEMORIAL - The setting was at an outdoor venue next to a beautiful greenhouse and garden complex in Maryland. There was an outside trellis with a podium and folding chairs were set in front of it. The memorial featured wonderful and emotional eulogies by Chris' two daughters, a reading of a Psalm from his friend and neighbor, Rocky and a garden ritual. It was beautifully narrated by a friend of one of Chris' daughters.
(Photo left: The tent for food and mingling)
CELEBRATING CHRIS- There was a large tent with round tables for friends and family to enjoy some food, and share stories. Several family members, friends and work colleagues told funny stories that really highlighted Chris' great sense of humor.
MY STORIES - Although I was a bit hesitant, I thought it was important to share some of my memories because Chris was such a close friend. I choked up twice, because it was really hard to believe I wouldn't see him or hear his voice anymore. Today, I can still hear his voice and laughter in my head.
I told how we met in Dunkin' Donuts while standing in line, and I think we both commented on a customer who had an attitude, and wound up laughing over it. We decided to meet for coffee another time, and that's how our friendship began. When we met I told him he resembled Indiana Jones, and he rolled his eyes and sarcastically said, "I've never heard that." He had heard it from countless people, because he did. In fact, he told me he even went to a Halloween party dressed up in Indy's outfit complete with hat, boots and whip.
Tom and I joined Chris at Dunkin' many times for coffee or lunch, and we introduced him to what became his favorite Mexican restaurant, "Mucho Gusto" (although it was a different name when we first went there). I told of how in his retirement, Chris became an expert at refinishing furniture. Because we have a pickup truck, Tom and I would sometimes either pick something up for Chris or on rare occasion, deliver something. But he had a way of making everything look new. Another friend told of how he would always find amazing things of great value in thrift stores, and I remember him telling me about a few of them.
(Photos: Speakers at the memorial service)
One of my favorite funny stories was when Chris told me about a neighbor who would always bring her dog over to his lawn at night, to have her dog do his business on the lawn. He said he knew generally when she would walk her dog over to his front yard. So, he waited in the dark in his front spare bedroom until she showed up. His car was always parked in front of his townhouse and when she and the dog came to his lawn he hit the alarm button and scared the heck out of her! Tom and I remember laughing so hard we almost spit out our drinks at Dunkin' the day he told us.
A Weather Sign from Chris - I mentioned that I'm also a medium and that I've learned how to recognize signs from loved ones who passed. For me, because I was a meteorologist who specialized in the tropics- tropical depressions, tropical storms, hurricanes, typhoons, and cyclones- spirits have given me signs through those to let me know they are around and are okay on the other side. My dad did with Tropical Storm Eduard in 2008 when he passed. My dog, Dolly did in 2020 when she passed and Tropical Storm Dolly formed. And less than two weeks after Chris passed, Tropical Storm Cristobal (Spanish for "Christopher") formed in the Gulf of Mexico.
(Photos: A walkway in the garden area and small cards with wildflower seeds that could be planted in Chris' memory)
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