Tag Archives: family

Taken far too soon

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I lost a friend on Tuesday. I had only known her for a little over two years, but I knew her well enough to know she could aptly be described as a spark plug. She was certainly a person who energized, inspired, and animated every room she was in.

In the short time I knew Lee, I had never seen her in a bad mood. Sure, there were days when she came to work feeling a little less than her usual chipper self, but she never let that affect the outcome of her day. And by the time she had eased into her routine, that infectious smile and her zest for life filled every room she entered.

There was never a dull breakfast service when she was “toast master”. I could hear the laughter in the kitchen through the walls of my office, and when I went in to see what was happening, Lee would be dancing behind the line and bringing everyone up to her level of light. That’s what she did. She radiated it. It shone through her. And she shared that beautiful light with everyone.

The fact I am so affected by her passing after knowing her for such a short time says a lot about her character, and who she was as a human being. Following the outpouring of posts about her passing on social media, I know many others, who have known her for much longer, feel the same deep sense of loss that I feel.

Lee Lee, I will miss hearing the familiar sound of you saying ‘hey, hey’ in the morning when you came into the office. I will miss hearing you say, ‘I love this song’ every time a new song came on. And, most importantly, I will miss you. I didn’t know you for a long time, but I knew you well enough to know what a special person you were, and how different my life will be without you in it.

Nicknames

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I have had the good fortune of growing up with a nickname.  It has defined me in a way my given name will never have the capacity of doing.  There is not a single person in my life that can recall how it originated, but I have nonetheless been called Tooie since I was a young child.

There have been many theories developed in an attempt to come up with the birth of the name, but none have resembled any sort of believable truth.   There are people in my life that would struggle to come up with my legal given name, and that has never struck me as an oddity.  It is a comforting feeling having people refer to my nickname as if it were the name on my birth certificate.  My dad, before he passed away, made sure that my legacy follows me everywhere, literally.  My last Christmas present from him was a license plate that says TOOIE.

Even though that moniker has followed me throughout my time on this earth, I would never change that part of my life.  It is how I define myself.  It is a term of endearment that was mysteriously bestowed on me at a young age and will follow me into my twilight years. When I am 90 years old, my nephews will still refer to me as Auntie Tooie.

Some people will shrug off a nickname as they get older, feeling like it is suspending them in an alternate linear timeline, but nicknames have a way of attaching themselves to our evolving reality.  They are usually given as a sign of affection, and I will continue to embrace mine. Perhaps I will never know how it truly came to be, but I will cherish the family and friends that keep the sentiment alive and well by always referring to me as Tooie.

If you’ve ever been given a nickname….share it with me.  I’d love to know what other names you go by!!