We Climbed before the Klimb 4 Kim...

We Climbed before the Klimb 4 Kim...
1997's Climb

Thursday, September 29, 2011

More songs

Does anyone listen to the songs?  I can't help but hear them on the radio and reminisce about Kim or what could have been, and afterward.  Opportunities missed, or mishandled...
'So Far Away', by Avenged Sevenfold, just the latest to capture my attention...

How do I live without the ones I love?
Time still turns the pages of the book it's burned
Place and time always on my mind
I have so much to say but you’re so far away

Plans of what our futures hold
Foolish lies of growing old
It seems we’re so invincible
But the truth is so cold


  And so it goes...It amazes me, how even more than nine months later, I am still handling/receiving paperwork to prove we lost Kim.  Filling it out in triplicate and providing copies of the all mighty 'Death Certificate'.  I still shudder at the very mention of that horrible piece of paper.

    The bambini and I took steps towards further completing the look and feel of the nitcho today...wandering for hours in the hot, but comforting sun, until we found exactly what we were looking for...

     ...returning home, I found a pleasant surprise in our mailbox.  It turned out to be my very first response from the letters I sent out and emailed out a few weeks ago.  Asking for help with Kimmy's Foundation, explaining her work in our community and what she meant to our schools.  It floored me.  It was so unexpected, I uttered 'holy sh*t' and stopped dead in my tracks.  The bambini have become highly sensitized to mood swings and rushed to my side.  "What??  What is it Dad??  Are you OK?". 
I must have.  Somehow.  Kim.  She, her emotion - I've never had that sensitivity - no, that's not the right description - the overwhelming gratitude - and, once again, I have no words to describe how Kim's tears of joy would pour over in certain situations.  It's as if, when she passed, she somehow merged (?) into me - and I've always been grateful for what we have and what we are given, yet, even more so since she's gone...
          The letter, from Len Riggio.  Who's that?  The owner of Barnes & Noble.  The Riggio family knows loss.  Len's brother, Steve, co-owner, lost his daughter a few years ago.  When I sent them the letter about Kim, and her foundation, asking for help, I hoped that they would understand...
           Last week, while I was in Phoenix for our conference, one of the topics that came up was our company's anti-solicitation policy.  You know, no selling girl scout cookies or Avon in the breakroom type of thing.  The reason is, so that, the booksellers are constantly being bombarded by sales pitches while they are trying to relax on much earned breaks.  As we listened, I thought 'Damn.  Here I went and pitched Kim's Foundation to the owner.  I could be toast!".  That was in the back of my mind as I walked up the driveway with the B&N envelop in my hand...
          Mr. Riggio warmly wished our family well and offered condolences.  I loved his closing line; "Our civilization advances one good person at a time!".  He is the good person, enclosing a check for Kim's Foundation in the amount of $5K!!!!  Definitely a wonderful start from an incredible company!!
          Only $485K to go for Kimmy's chapel!!

              Thanks for listening...
                              Dave
          
      

1 comment:

  1. That is exciting news for the start of a wonderful project! Yeah barnes and noble :)

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