Memory Lane

When I was single and lived in the city, I became friends with an old man named Joe. I was rumaging through old files on the computer and thought I would share a little something I wrote after he passed away five years ago next month. I still miss Joe today and think about him often....

Sometimes someone comes into your life and touches you so deeply and before you know it they disappear. The first time I saw the old man it was a brisk January day in Chicago and he was scuffling across the courtyard of my apartment. I soon learned that he lived on the third floor for around 40 years. Over the months, I did his shopping, made him dinner, etc. I expected nothing in return but what I received from him is more than I could ever have expected from anyone. What he gave me was truly priceless and for that I am very thankful. He became one of my closet friends, a surrogate grandfather and a role model for life. He often talked of being confused about letting go of his freedom and apartment and spoke to me candidly about how hard it was having everyone telling him what to do with his life after living it so long on his own. He soon realized that he could not do it on his own anymore and I watched him gently let life just take its course. He sat back and let everyone make decisions for him knowing they were for the best. I could see the hurt in his eyes and shed tears for him but he never once shed a tear, only looked away and blinked. He told me not to be sad when he was gone but instead I should go get a single red rose and put it in my apartment to remember him when I heard the news. The fresh red rose sits on my kitchen table as I write these words. I am thankful for the red rose and thankful for the reminder of a friendship lost and a life well lived.