It was when Leah and I were in college and first began to talk about the M Word (marriage) that we first met Jim and Karen, a couple a bit older than Leah and me and already married. While Leah and I lived in dorms and went to classes and took exams, Jim and Karen had graduated and had jobs, an apartment of their own, a nice stereo (I remember being very envious of that at the time) and they had a life.
It was like Jim and Karen were cool kids who were riding two wheel bikes blocks away from home, while Leah and I still had training wheels on and could only dream about what might be discovered out there in the beckoning distance.
Jim and Karen were sweet and kind to the youngsters Kurt and Leah and visited us occasionally at school to relive their college days; in turn they had us over to their apartment so we could hear what the Woodstock album sounded like when played on a really good stereo.
When Leah and I eventually also got married, Jim and Karen stood up with us as our best man and matron of honor. We’ve been friends now for over 30 years and, though we live on opposite ends of the country, have traveled often together, hiking and playing outdoors by day in places like the desert Southwest, or in the mountains and along ocean beaches here in the Pacific Northwest. Leah and Karen also are amazing cooks, so our evenings together always meant the sharing of good food and happy conversation.
About a year ago, however, Karen’s health began to slip and her doctors eventually diagnosed a rare, degenerative brain disease. When Karen passed away last Thursday, Leah was there in Maryland with our friends.
Namaste, dear sister. We honor the good in you, and pray for your swift journey onward.
