Saying Goodbye

On July 26th, I lost a friend. Not just any regular type of friend and not a friend I talked to on a weekly basis--he was the type of friend who had such a hold on my heart that we could go for weeks without talking but when we'd get together again, it was as if there was never an absence. I met Eric back in 2004, before moving to Greenville. Jessica will agree with me when I say that I positively adored the kid. I believe I expressed my love for him that very night. :) He never met a stranger and I remember hours spent in restuarants with him getting to know the waiter/waitress. I loved him and even when his uber-conservative side would spill some vile comment about women and he'd get me fuming, he could still make me laugh. He knew my buttons & he never pushed too far. I'll miss my Thursday night "Guess who is drunk and dailing again" phone calls. I'll miss making fun of turtle logs. He was a rather physical guy, and I'll miss his massive hugs. There's a lot about him that I'll miss and I'd just rather like to believe that he has gone on a very long vacation, freezing the image of him in his "I've got the body of a god, buddha" shirt in my head. It's why I couldn't go to the wake or funeral. I can't do it anymore. I'm sick of people I adore dying. His loss has been particularily difficult because I feel like I took our relationship for granted. I wish I'd spent more time with him when we lived just down the street from each other.

So, goodbye Eric Turner. I'm sorry I wasn't a better friend but I hope you know how much I love you. I know a lot of people up there, so I'm sure you'll find a good group to tell Tommi jokes with.