Remembering

It's been a year. Hard to accept that an entire year has gone by without Paul in my life. I think, like everyone I've talked to, the memories come in little bursts when we are doing something that we would have shared with him. I don't know how many times during the last year I've seen something while walking in Manhattan, or shared a funny story with the kids, or logged another "missing letter sign" into the collection and the first person I've wanted to share it with was Paul.

I always shared a bizarre sense of humor with him, and thanks to Amy, Alec, Steph, and Davey, there is still an endless flow of the bizarre. I know he would have been a big fan of Representative Alvin Holmes of the Alabama Legislature and his commentary on a beer bill. Every time we quote the man, I imagine Paul would have used the phrase "what's wrong with the....." along with the rest of us that can't stop laughing at this. He would have fallen victim to the awful 80's - lyrics status updates on Facebook that we've fallen into. He would have laughed hysterically at all of the Rod Blagojevich jokes. And on the serious side, he would be very proud of Stephanie, Alice, and Davey for being strong and moving on, and of his nieces and nephews, grandkids, and the rest of us who missed him at the Thanksgiving table this year.

I've never been much of a spiritual person, or believed in spirits and ghosts, but I feel he's around sometimes. Like the dream I wrote about on here, or those times when I just know he's messing with me, hiding things and revealing them, or steering me towards the insanely funny. I know I'm not alone in this.

So, let's all remember this holiday season that Paul would bring laughter, and insight, and great stories. Let's honor him by telling stories, and keeping the memory alive. So much to tell. So much to remember.

Happy holidays to you all.
--Neil