Saying Goodbye

Two years ago today James and I received the devastating news that our good friend, Matt Green, had unexpectedly passed away. He was a father of two beautiful girls and a devoted husband to Monica. His death has had a profound effect on our lives and our marriage. His wife is one of the most positive people I have ever met and I has been a true inspiration for myself as a person, a wife and a mother. Over the past few years, I have been hit with flashes of memories or even just random thoughts and the tears just start rolling along. Today has been especially hard, though for the most part it has become easier to remember him and laugh as well as cry. He was so special and I can not adequately put into words how much his friendship meant to us. He loved life, his family, his friends. He was just a happy person.
For those of you who did not have the honor of knowing Matt (and it truly was an honor), I will try hard to describe him for you. He was a 6ft 5 teddy bear with this inviting smile and loud laugh. He was so easy to get along with, and after the first time I met him, I felt that we had been friends together. I try to think what Matt would think of me crying right now while writing this. I think that he would be making fun of me mercilessly and then as he walked away, he would pat my back to reassure me that everything would be ok.
Matt and I worked together in the same office at Enterprise. I can honestly say, my days were so much fun when he was in the office. He was a little bit of a prankster and we would go the rounds playing tricks on each other. I think it first began with spitballs (I know, professional huh). Matt had come up with a brilliant idea one day to recreate his school days and blow spit balls from a straw at all of us. The thing that made it so much more funnier is that he would chose the time when you could not fight back at all. I remember talking to the police department on the phone and he came around my wall and tagged me right on the neck! I was stuck. I could not do anything as he kept hitting me with these spitballs while trying to concentrate on what the police officer said at the time. I started throwing random items at him from my desk, but he would not quit, and laughed is hearty laugh the whole time. I tried calling my boss Tony over and they ended up getting into a spitball fight on their own. That was your average Tuesday with working with Matt.
To get him back, I would use physical tactics against him. He had his desk facing the opposite end of the door, so when you walked into the office, his back was to the door. I would sneak up and pinch him right under his arm and leave bruises for him to show off to his wife. I never could one up him though.
One of the funnier moments (really, it was not funny for me at the time) was when Matt and Tony conspired against me with the goal in mind to try to kill me with embarrassment. Tony had one of those machines that make farting noises when you push a button. All of the guys in the office thought this was the best thing to be invented. Monique, Emily and I did not find it as amusing (honestly, the fact that we got any work done at all still amazes me). So one day, I think I was pregnant at the time, I begin walking across the office and every time I take a step, a farting noise would come out . For anybody who knows me knows that this is about the most mortifying thing that can happen to me. However, our Regional Vice President had walked in at that exact time and I was just looking like pregnant fool with a flatulence problem. Not wanting to get them in trouble with the machine, I pretended that I had no idea what was going on as did the RVP (probably being embarrassed for me). I left the office a full shade of purple while Matt kept hitting the stupid button continuing with the noises. I think that they fessed up, but I am not sure. I do know I walked back into the office furious until I saw Matt's goofy grin. You could never stay mad at him.
Matt was also king of the sling shot in the office. He made these sling shots out of rubber bands and paperclips that hurt like hell when the hit you (I know this because I was on the receiving end of more than one of these slingshots). The distance and accuracy he had always amazed me. One time, I think I was about 8 months pregnant, I bent over to pick up a dropped file and hit me right square on my butt. I turned around to him and he had this look of amusement and guilt rolled up into one. There was nothing you could do but laugh and wonder how an 8 year old found himself in a 30 year old body.
For all of the practical jokes he played on me, he was also a true friend. Whenever I had a craving for something during my pregnancies, he would run out and get me whatever I wanted. I remember making him go get me an ICEE from 7-11 (had not had one in years, and have not had one since). I drank about 3 sips before I was throwing up in my trash can. He was right over at my desk patting my back and holding the trash can for me at the same time. He was my surrogate big brother and I absolutely adored him. I also remember him coming from his first doctors visit with Monica when they were pregnant with Skylar. He came in, just bouncing with excitement to show us the sonograms. I had to admit to him, even though I was a few months further along with my own daughter, that I could never tell what I was looking at when looking at those things. He told me "You are looking at the most perfect baby in the world"! Then we would get into a debate over whose baby was going to be cuter:)
I miss him. I miss his laughs, his excitement, his stories, everything about him (well maybe not the slingshots, but everything else). I miss him trying to convince me to give James a "hall pass" (code word for boys night out) and his stories about the girls peeing/pooping/spitting up on him right before he was going for work. As much as I miss him though, I am so thankful that he was a part of my life and everything his passing has done for my life. I don't go to bed mad at my husband, or hang up the phone angry at him. I know that every moment is precious and that I have to live that it as though it may be the last. James and I had the difficult talks about what are wishes are in case either one of us passes after Matt's passing. Most of all, I am thankful to have developed a friendship with his wife Monica, and that she keeps me up to date with the girls, Skylar and Talia, and how much they are the constant reminder of how life keeps going. The whole Green family is never far from our thoughts.