What I miss the most
“Hi Rich…this is David’s wife…have you heard?”
I could sense it in the tone of her voice.
She was the bearer of bad news:
“David passed away on Tuesday…at work, a pulmonary embolism.”
David and I talked the evening before he died. The 47-minutes flew by as we pulled into our respective driveways—the signal that it was time to say goodbye until our next conversation.
I’ve known David for over 25 years. We remained connected through those check-in calls.
The reason we stayed in touch is because David was committed to our friendship. Follow-through was his superpower.
For days after hearing the news, I walked around wondering: How could this have happened? David was healthy. He was younger than me. He was a good, good man.
The quality of his presence is what leaves this gaping hole now that he’s not here.
What do I miss most? The things I could count on: lack of judgement when my life got messy, his consistent encouragement, his belief in me when I doubted myself.
Interactions with him were a rare and meaningful exchange.
David, thanks for being the type of man that has made me a better man.
I miss that the most.
Goodbye until our next conversation…