Still at a Loss

I’m in the most beautiful place, having the best time teaching eighty plus people to play the game I love. I have been having a great time and I got the worst news about my dear friend Hugh Braithwaite’s untimely and sudden passing yesterday. Thankfully Russ is here with me, but I really wish I could be with Suzanne, Doug, Dave and Janet so we could just tell stories about Hugh.

I have not had enough time to talk with my common friends of Hugh, but have gotten lots of messages from friends, but grieving like this is not helping my heart. Suzanne is feeling the same pain and exhaustion.

I went back and looked at emails chains from our group after college reunions. The common thread is that we all knew in college that our friendship was special, but felt it more and more deeply as the years went on. We were lucky that our spouses also liked each other and the group and were understanding of our bond.

Hugh was always the most elusive. He would come in and sing the best songs, tell the best stories and then would be the first to leave as he was always in demand. Now we are left without him.

When we first got out of college and were all missing each other I had a weekend party in Washington DC along the theme of the Big Chill. The movie had come out that summer and we all related so well to it. Even though we were not thirty something’s like the members of the cast, we all took on roles in the movie. I wanted us to watch the movie during that weekend so I bought a $79 VHS since Block buster could not guarantee I could rent a copy.

The one part about the movie that we never considered is that one of us would die first. We were much more into the reunion, the music the dancing the reminiscing of a group of college friends.

So now one of us is gone. All I want is to be together, but I want Hugh to be there. Unrealistic thoughts.

Please tell your friends and family how much you love them. Tell them how they impacted your life. Tomorrow is never promised.

Love to you all.