Every October for nearly 20 years, my buddy Chris Damico and I would do our annual graveyard walk. We’d choose a cemetery somewhere in Milwaukee, get breakfast nearby, and then spend a couple hours slowly winding our way through the grounds. Both of us professional writers and amateur photographers, we enjoyed taking pictures and telling stories about all the lives we came across.

Usually the days were sunny and brisk, with beautiful fall colors exploding all around, but winter comes early in Wisconsin, so occasionally there’d be snow on the ground and a chill in the air. We always went anyway. There aren’t many days circled on my calendar in a given year, but that graveyard walk was something I looked forward to every time.

Chris died unexpectedly earlier this year. He was only 39. I deleted his number from my phone because it hurt too much to see him on my list of frequent contacts. I felt a little bad about that, but in the end I think it’s okay. We all manage the best way we can.

This weekend, on what would have been our 20th year together, I’m heading to our favorite spot in our favorite cemetery to see him. There’s a little library room tucked away on an upper floor of the main building, where his ashes are stored in one of the books on the shelf. It’s the perfect final resting place.

We all know that time is short, but what can feel like an abstract concept sometimes hits home in absolute reality. I’m just glad the two of us spent our time together in a meaningful way.

Goodbye, Damico. I’ll miss you.

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(permanent link: https://natestpierre.me/2024/10/08/farewell-my-friend/)

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