Smart, creative and high strung, she had a charming way of saying the wrong thing at the wrong time — which made for stories which were fall-down funny. You would never suspect that years ago she had survived being attacked, beaten and left for dead.
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In 4th grade, he looked a little like Alfred E. Newman. We hung out in high school, and he married my friend’s little sister. I ran into him at Target and wondered if he was as shocked as I was to see how much we’ve aged.
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I was never happy to see him during my shift.
If someone made a mistake, his reprimand was swift.
White-haired and power-suited, he was as a king surveying his domain.
But he was really just the store manager for a failing retail chain.
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She was my friend first, but later provided a safe place for me to leave my new baby when I had to go back to work full time. During my lunch breaks, she gave me peanut butter sandwiches… a sympathetic ear…and sanity-saving reassurance.
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Backgammon and intellectualism in the school library senior year. Hours laughing and bonding over mom stories — understanding each other. Viewing his world map and marveling over his many short wave radio correspondents. Visiting him in Silicon Valley after college; feeling tenderness when he came out.
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We visited her in northeast Colorado, where she had lived alone for 30 years. She was 92, and very independent. The closest big city (population 11,000) was two hours away. She quilted and embroidered until the end of her life. Her big sister was 101.
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We got chatty while working at Goldblatt’s in high school. He had reddish hair and a penchant for horror and suspense movies. He persuaded me to see “When a Stranger Calls” with him, so we could gleefully clutch each other and scream like little girls.
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Her sister had breast cancer, and she was devastated when she received her own diagnosis. But she steeled herself for a fight, so cancer didn’t stand a chance. She went through chemo, radiation and baldness. All of that is behind her. She’ll enjoy her 50s.
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She broke up with her first college boyfriend — horrifically, he went to the park and shot himself in the head. Three years later, I broke an engagement. She never treated me the same after that. I wondered if the ease of my split seemed unfair.
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He was my only uncle, having married my only aunt. Years later, they divorced and remarried each other. I never knew him well, just that he was a well-paid professional and an alcoholic. He died this year, chronologically young but with an aged exterior.
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She’s a wild Irish role model, a grandma in her 50s who had a shamrock tattooed on her upper arm. There’s something a bit private about her, but she always has a funny observation or dry commentary. She also plays a mean pair of spoons.
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We said we’d be lifelong friends. I thought he was cute, with his dimples and kind manner. But he had it bad for a sweet-seeming blonde who did drugs and blatantly cheated on him. He was ever forgiving, but I hope he finally moved on.
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We met at the gym where I worked senior year. He was a tall, bespectacled freshman, into water polo and hockey. Someone hijacked his computer account and sent me lovesick messages begging for sexual mentoring. I let him down easy before I figured it out.
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My mom was his babysitter – he was my pre-school companion. We spent hours pretending I was the princess and he was the ape. When we were four, we tried to drive the family car. He married someone with my maiden name. I saw the announcement.
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She was newly pregnant when her husband told her he wanted a divorce. They shared their massive dream home, separating as their baby grew. Here husband was there, but she asked me to be her birth coach. I was honored and humbled by the experience.
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We met on the Blythe collectors’ boards. She was learning to sew doll clothes, and sent me some pieces she had created, along with Barbie band instruments. It was fascinating to receive her packages from Ireland. If I go there someday, I’ll look her up.
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Not a big blond German, but a Filipino of Chinese descent. College and the U.S. were both new to him. He brought interesting food items into the apartment, and liked to eat his bread with a thick layer of butter and a sprinkle of sugar.
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He describes himself as an introvert by nature, but he is one of the most consistently good public speakers I’ve ever heard. The way he has responded to his purpose and calling is an inspiration. His example makes me want to challenge my own hesitations.
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My life would have been so different if we hadn’t have befriended one another. Her brother is the love of my life, but the truth is that I fell for her first. I waited half my life for a sister; I scored a package deal.
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He was short and freckled, with shaggy black hair and a tough-guy swagger. In 7th grade, he liked one of my friends and I became his confidant. We went to different high schools. I wonder where he is now, and if he’s any taller.
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