This past week marked the one year anniversary of one of the sweetest and lovable people I have every met. Vincent was a co-worker of mine, he was a big guy whose heart was even bigger.
He had worked with me in a few capacities, the most recent was a supervisory role in our Career Skills area. He was articulate and very talented. Playing the piano and writing songs, whenever there was a talent show or assembly, you would always find him behind the keyboard.
I often run into a brick wall when I am writing, which causes me to get discouraged. I remember once I told him when I was experiencing writer's block. He told me to leave that part and start writing another and go backwards. Simple right? But, it helped, and still does. When I hit that wall, I still can hear his voice.
He left work one afternoon to go to get something to eat. He drove a large SUV, and he was in a very bad car accident that cause damage to his legs. There was surgery to help and physical therapy had to be done before he left the hospital. He was doing okay, then one evening I walked in from work and my director called and told me he was gone.
It felt like the air sucked out of the room. I thought he was doing okay, he thought he was going home. Life is so precious.
For the entire week before his funeral, I found myself calling his company cell phone just to hear his voice. I called his office as well. I thought that I was alone, but his sister had his phone and she said that she had to turn off the ringer because the phone just kept ringing constantly. After talking with a few people, there was about six of us calling it all of the time, just to hear his voice.
I still have the last email he sent to me.
We had a memorial service on center, his family came and we went over to his office. His manager had left everything the exact way that he left it the day of the car accident. When he found out about the accident, he locked his office and never opened it again until that day his mom, dad and sister came to get his things. On his desk, he had started a note to one of the instructors and left the pen sitting on the notepad. We wondered what else he was going to say. Now, we will never know.
His family looked around the office and saw all of his items, pictures and other personal items. They could not pack his office and asked for his manager to do it.
This past Wednesday, a few of us were talking about him because he was so loved and is still missed. Ironically, one of my other co-workers had a baby boy, on the same day that Vincent left us. I wonder, no - I knew Vincent, so I am sure that he held the baby before she did.
Missing my friend.
He had worked with me in a few capacities, the most recent was a supervisory role in our Career Skills area. He was articulate and very talented. Playing the piano and writing songs, whenever there was a talent show or assembly, you would always find him behind the keyboard.
I often run into a brick wall when I am writing, which causes me to get discouraged. I remember once I told him when I was experiencing writer's block. He told me to leave that part and start writing another and go backwards. Simple right? But, it helped, and still does. When I hit that wall, I still can hear his voice.
He left work one afternoon to go to get something to eat. He drove a large SUV, and he was in a very bad car accident that cause damage to his legs. There was surgery to help and physical therapy had to be done before he left the hospital. He was doing okay, then one evening I walked in from work and my director called and told me he was gone.
It felt like the air sucked out of the room. I thought he was doing okay, he thought he was going home. Life is so precious.
For the entire week before his funeral, I found myself calling his company cell phone just to hear his voice. I called his office as well. I thought that I was alone, but his sister had his phone and she said that she had to turn off the ringer because the phone just kept ringing constantly. After talking with a few people, there was about six of us calling it all of the time, just to hear his voice.
I still have the last email he sent to me.
We had a memorial service on center, his family came and we went over to his office. His manager had left everything the exact way that he left it the day of the car accident. When he found out about the accident, he locked his office and never opened it again until that day his mom, dad and sister came to get his things. On his desk, he had started a note to one of the instructors and left the pen sitting on the notepad. We wondered what else he was going to say. Now, we will never know.
His family looked around the office and saw all of his items, pictures and other personal items. They could not pack his office and asked for his manager to do it.
This past Wednesday, a few of us were talking about him because he was so loved and is still missed. Ironically, one of my other co-workers had a baby boy, on the same day that Vincent left us. I wonder, no - I knew Vincent, so I am sure that he held the baby before she did.
Missing my friend.
