The wake

The wake was tonight.  Mike didn't really look like Mike, but then again, they never do.  His hair did feel the same - full of hairspray!  I had told Danielle I don't think he would've liked his hair at all b/c it was not spiky, but at least it had a lot of product in it (just like he wore).

He looked old.  Like creases around his eyes really stood out.  Standing right up next to him, though, seeing those eyelashes of his, it just seemed like he could take a breath, stretch out and get right up.  He was cold.  I touched his arm once but it was freezing, so I could only bear to touch his hair.  I joked that that was something he would never let me do when he was alive!

He had a guitar in the coffin with him - had Nirvana on it.  There was a rosary hanging above him on the coffin and there was a rosary in his hands, which were put together.  His face looked bigger than it was when he was alive.  When I had seen the body from the coroner's office, I was afraid there wouldn't be anything left, he was barely there.  So, I was happy that he didn't look too thin or gaunt.

Some girls that he and Jen had coached brought in a basketball signed by what I assume were team mates.  That was very nice.

I was doing alright at the wake until Jared and Wesley walked in together and then I lost it.  After I talked to them for awhile, though, it actually made me feel better.

I drove to the cemetery yesterday and today to see where he will be buried.  It is very near to his grandparents, so that's nice.  It's a nice, small cemetery, so it's not hard to find who you're looking for.

Sandy came right at the end and she is taking this really hard.  I mean, not only b/c she's known Mike since he was in pre-school, but also b/c she lost her own daughter six years ago and she says she's sick of going to funerals for "kids".  She told Mike's Dad that now they all have a special angel looking over them, that is the job of the young angels God takes.

For those of us, here, life goes on.  Phil's birthday is tomorrow, I sent him an e-card.  Didn't get a chance to send out his paper card.  Ronan im'd me and sent his regrets and I'll be back to work by the end of the week.  Maybe now all of us who are affected by this passing will take life less for granted and be sure we live it in such a way that there are no regrets.  I am so thankful that I have no regrets with Mike. I said everything I had wanted to say, I did everything I wanted to do and I was as good a friend to him as I could possibly be.  No regrets.

Copied from myspace blog 11/10/13