March 19, 2009 |
| Goodbye Old Friend |
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With Phil in Atlanta - January 2009
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March 19 – Three days ago I drove to Atlanta to say goodbye to a lifelong friend. With his family gathered around him, I held his hand and kissed his head and said, “Goodbye old friend, I love you.” He died several days later.
I knew Phil Polimeni so long I don’t remember not ever knowing him. We grew up together in Brooklyn along with his wife, JoAnn, Danny and his wife Mary and of course, Carol. Together Phil and Jo Ann raised a beautiful and close-knit family. By any measure, Phil was a good man and he will be remembered fondly by all who knew him.
I once read somewhere that we’re at an age when life begins taking away more than it gives us and I thought that with all the loved ones I’ve lost in the past 4 years, that’s certainly true. Still, nothing is totally black and white and I’ve found that life can still give something to us. For me, that is most apparent by the growing presence of Teresa in my life.
Joined by Danny and Mary who flew down from New York, I returned to Atlanta this past weekend to celebrate Phil’s life and to bury him. It was a sad reminder of how short life can be and a lesson in why we should live it to the fullest. Sail on, Phil. Sail on!
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2009
September (1)
September Cruise