Parting is such...

And so we gathered in a cornfield in the Middle of Nowhere, IL.  We came from both coasts and just about everywhere in between, leaden with our sorrow and hoping to lessen it by sharing it with others similarly afflicted.  It was a nice day--sun and clouds with a gentle breeze ruffling the corn, which had grown to Mutant size through either the elements or Monsanto's most recent concoction.

Black was the unofficial color.  It was present in the plethora of clothing styles, from LBDs to suits, well-tailored and not-so-well tailored.   The church was beautiful, and a reminder that the person we came to pay our respects to had been on the Board that oversaw its construction.  One of her daughters was married in that building.

It was a Catholic Mass, one of those events that non-Catholics should go to once in their lives.  I wondered as I was sitting there whether the Guest of Honor would be embarrassed with all the fuss being proffered.  She always was uncomfortable receiving praise and the gratitude of those she served so well.  My guess is that death wouldn't change that.

The room was bifurcated with Family Friends and Professional Friends.  There was some co-mingling but we all pretty much stayed in our own Clan.  The group catharsis was useful, as it allowed us to weave her life into our own tapestry.  My own path was influenced considerably by her influence and counsel.  I am a better Professional and Person because our lives crossed.

We smiled, and laughed, that laugh that while sincere, it lacks the full energy of our "normal" laugh.  It's just a bit forced, a bit withheld, always mindful of the setting and the solemnity of the occasion.  We hugged.  We cried a bit.

Then we left.  As the Mutant Corn passed by the window I began to think of what things are going to be like without her.  I thought I had made that assessment a year ago.  I realized I was holding out for the Miracle in Naperville and once the Miracle didn't happen the realization that she was gone was more profound.  I held on to those times and interactions that made me, or her, laugh.

I want to think that I provided some measure of value, even though I got so much more than I gave.  We meet so many people as we wander through our lives.  Only a few make a serious impact.  Karen was one of them.  I miss her already...


Pete