2024

Tonight we rang in the new year with our friends.  It’s a familiar routine every year.  Gather some Gen X’ers like ourselves and eat, drink, and play games until the ball drops.  Along the way, we have had a revolving door of kids that have come by the house and have celebrated as well.  This year was no different other than the obvious…  Missing Summer.

I am not sure that Summer would have been here or in Decatur or across the country on a wild trip with Nate for the holiday week…  But she was here with us in spirit.

When I had my Toyota/NADA meeting in Nashville last year, Ang and I took Summer along for the ride.  She stayed with us and wandered around town with her Mom while I was in meetings.  The second night of the meeting we had a formal dinner at Eddie V’s with the rest of the meeting members and their families.  Summer wore a stunning yellow dress and walked the 1/2 mile or so with us to the restaurant.  Like before…  Brazen with her bald head.  She had no fear.

We sat down in the restaurant and it was “game on”.  Mark, our NADA moderator told the waiter to get her whatever she wanted… Oh, and if she doesn’t know what to ask for…  Do whatever it takes to impress.

This was a meal and event experience for the ages.  A fancy cocktail that grabbed as much attention from its appearance as its taste.  A special delivery of Wagyu beef as a “side” and a Bananas Foster presentation with full accouterment.  The icing on the cake was a bottle of Pink Moet Chandon Champaign.  A full bottle.

It was too much.  Summer was in the midst of treatment and her gut could barely hold anything.  She was a trooper and nibbled and tried everything.  Ultimately, she took the bottle of champagne home to the hotel.

We carried that unopened bottle back to Memphis in hopes that we would pop the cork when good news graced us during her progress at St. Jude.

It never happened…  That bottle sat in the fridge at Target House… Then came home to Tremont where its been sitting in our fridge looking for an “up” moment.  Those have been hard to find over the past 6 months.

Tonight…  For New years eve…  We busted it out.  Angela and I shared it with Aiden and the Brodahls as we toasted in 2024.

I was thinking earlier today that I should have found an excuse to open it during our time in Memphis or on our trip out west.   But, we always seemed to be laser-focused on a task during her treatment, and in the aftermath, I don’t think we ever took time to breathe deeply, relax, and enjoy a moment.

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I got word today that a classmate from Prairie Central class of 1989 died this week from Cancer.  Josh Maquet.  (Totally related to the Pekin Maquets)  I had not been friends with Josh over the years.  By the very nature of a small school, we had been close acquaintances for middle and high school.  (Epic parties at his house)

I read his obituary and thought “This is too young”.

That’s rich coming from me.  52-53 is a ripe old age compared to the tragedy we had this year.  But it still seems young to me.   Im sure my proximity to his age adds to that attitude.  You save and scrimp.  You sacrifice your free time for what you think will benefit your life when you retire…  Only to get sucker punched before the finish line.  It sucks.  Profound suckiness.  I don’t know much on the details, but  I heard he was aware of an illness and was fighting cancer.  I think a car wreck or a heart attack in the middle of the night might be a better way to go… But then again, having some satisfaction in saying goodbye means a lot as well.

Rest in peace Josh. 

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It is a new year.

I wanted to thank a lot of people who helped us over the last 2 years.  But I don’t know where to start… Scratch that… I know where to start…But I don’t know where to end.  I am still running into people who were pulling for Summer or thinking of us through her journey and I can never repay or thank everyone.

But, if you read this…  “Thank You”.  “Thank you for thinking of my family and my lovely daughter”.  I say this from the bottom of my heart.  “You are a kind person and I am glad you are in the circle of our family”.  I use quotations because I am saying them to you.

Happy New Year.

May you find small celebrations that give you reasons to bust out that extra bottle of champagne you purchased for tonight.  I know we have a bottle of Martini and Rossi that never got popped.  Life is short.  Celebrate the small victories as well as the big ones.