I remember standing in my driveway, when I was 3 years old, and watching as a new family moved in 4 doors down...they had a little boy...a playmate...who turned out to be a wonderful, life-long friend. Steve passed away on July 1, 2009. The first of our "group" of friends who grew up together, went through all of elementary school, junior high and high school together. I am including a photo (fuzzy old black and white of Steve and me on my driveway...a photo from jr. high (maybe you can see his broken tooth-he knocked it out on my hard head during a game of ghost in his basement...he never let me forget my role in his pain!)...and a photo from our senior year when I was Track Queen and Steve was my escort. Steve was the happiest guy I've ever known...always finding the humor in situations...he had a way with words, was so very smart, graduated from Duke University, and we were planning to get together in September when I will be in Berea. I am so sad. I am also so grateful for memories, which have flooded back into my mind: Saturday mornings at his house watching The Lone Ranger on TV; having him read me the poem, "I Had But 50 Cents" from The Best Loved Poems of the American People...we just loved that crazy poem! building forts out of his building blocks, apportioned exactly equally, so we could each build our own fort for our plastic cowboys and Indians; Steve playing the ACCORDIAN(!); writing the funniest entry in my high school yearbook EVERY YEAR!; Steve and Trip Davis bouncing the basketball all the way down Baker Street between their 2 houses and past mine, so they could play basketball with their self-made team, The Continentals...they were inspired by Ohio State's glory days of John Havlicek and Jerry Lucas. Still playing basketball at Fairwood, while the girls played tennis on the adjoining tennis courts, every summer through junior high and high school. We grew up, moved on, but remained forever friends. I am so glad we got together one more time at our 40th class reunion. I will miss him.
Sorry...the scans wouldn't (I COULDN'T) resize, and for some reason the photo of the broken tooth kept failing to post...
1 comment:
Oh Mom,
I know how dear Steve was to you. I am sorry for his sudden passing and the memories that were yet to be made, that you will not be able to stow away in the collection of your mind. However, I am happy that you could recollect all of the happy childhood memories of your dear friend. i am sure that you meant as much to him as He did to you. I love all of your stories...I always have...and I am glad that you wrote such a sweet post. I hope that other friends of yours get to see this lovely tribute!
Love you!
Post a Comment