Social media is weird. I’m not sure it’s always the best thing. Sometimes it delivers news from a remote past, in this case, from maybe 17 years ago. Ish. I was briefly fortunate enough to be in contact with a social group of smart, educated, funny, talented, ambitious people in academics at Maryland University. This was because I had been lucky enough to be in an incipient relationship with a smart, funny, talented woman who was within this social group. And among their group was another young lady who the first time I met her was making spring rolls for everybody. And she was really a light. A light among all of these lights. During this time, she met a great guy, and by the time the girlfriend and I were about to call it quits, they got engaged.

Yes. I’m trying to be vague here. My apologies.

Anyway, she died. The spring roll girl. Like this week. She had a stroke and died and she was too young and too nice for that. And she leaves children and an I assume adoring and broken husband and many heartbroken friends. I only know this because I’m on Facebook. And it makes me remember what a light she was and what a nice guy she’d met and what a journey they were on, plundering happiness with their kiddos and their dreams wide open, and how cruelly interrupted that was.

So with her in mind as well, will be going to a funeral this weekend for another guy. It’s gonna be mid-40s and overcast/raining Sunday. Excellent weather for a funeral. Harry was 89. He’s my grandpa, kinda. My brother’s grandpa, yeah, but I knew him first. He was a good guy, a Jersey guy, a Cubs fan, an avid reader, and an erstwhile listener of the Howard Stern Show. The last time I saw him, I’d been sent on a home check because blah blah blah who cares about the details. But he was fine. He was determined to be fine. He was stalwart in his being fine. Even though it meant sitting in his bed for four hours for the caregivers to show up. He was fine.

We remember Harry today because he was a veteran. And we remember him Sunday because he was a mensch. Bye, Harry.