It has been almost a year now since Anne left this world, and my thoughts still turn to her more times than are comfortable for me. Time is supposed to heal all wounds, but her loss is as close to my heart now as it was when I received that phone call so many months ago.
I met Anne late one night at my brother’s (best friend, brother of another mother, The Bruce’s) apartment. I had heard about the mystery woman that had captured my brothers’ heart, and when I saw the two of them together – I knew in my heart that fate had stepped in to let these two meet. I was being my regular corny joke, bad pun, telling self – and it took all of about five minutes before Anne decided that I had “dad humor” – and I was in.
Anne was truly something special, as anyone that had the privilege of meeting her knew from their first conversation with her. Beautiful, quick witted and a contagious smile that that could light up the Las Vegas strip, not just a room. Thinking back of the memories I have, that’s what really sticks out most in my mind – her smile. She loved her family very much, and every time she spoke of them there was a light in her eyes. She was very proud of her family, and every time she spoke of them you could feel the love she had for them and the love that she had for Bruce.
We were robbed of sharing more time with her, but the time that we did get to share is more precious to me than I have the words for. I awoke on the morning of my wedding day on my brothers couch (as so not to see my bride on the wedding day) to find that in my slumber, Anne had covered me up sometime in the night. She was sitting on the floor doing bead-work when I awoke, as I recall, and she made a crack about only letting me continue to snore (and I mean SNORE) because it was my wedding day. She said any other day and she would have smacked me being that I could have the snoring problem kicked by going to a sleep clinic. ;)
Anne was apart of our lives through some of the most special memories we have. She was there during the pregnancy (not conception, get your minds out of the gutter) of our youngest child, there for the baby shower, there for our wedding, and there in between all of that. She spent painstaking hours knitting until all hours of the night/morning so that our son’s baby blanket would be done in time for the baby shower (she doesn’t think I know that, but I have my sources). We went to movies together, had dinners together and hung out sharing laughs, ideas and thoughts. The time that we were graced with was spent doing all things that best friends and their wives do.
I never believed in my heart that Anne would ever get sick again. Even as I bid her and my brother goodbye at the airport, on their way back to Texas after the seizures returned, I thought she would be back. And through the operation and through the recovery, I thought – this thing is gone, she will get better and they will be back before I know it. Until the final few weeks, I refused to give up hope in my heart. I am still angry in my heart that she was taken from us, and I am still grateful that I had the privilege of getting to share time with her. Mostly I just miss her. My friend once told me, “no one knows how much Anne gave me”. I don’t think I ever told him… I know.
I still miss you Anne… so very much. I hope that we will meet again.
-- Jason (jak74@cox.net)
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