Afternoon Greg: A sad goodbye

Hi everyone.

I know postings have been light the past few days. I’ve been up in Sacramento for services for my beloved friend, Walter Lee Carpenter III, my first college roommate and one of my closest and most trusted friends for 23 years. I was asked by his wife to give a eulogy at last night’s memorial and at today’s church service at the Cathedral of the Blessed Sacrament, I  read a Bible passage.

I also joined his two brothers, a cousin and two other close friends as pall bearers. I could handle the eulogy and the bible verse, but when we carried his coffin out of the church and into the hearse, I sobbed. It really was saying goodbye and I didn’t want to. It was, I think, the saddest moment of my life.

We were all grief-stricken and it helped to be around his mom and brothers, his wife and his precious baby son and his friends. We were all connected to this wonderful but turbulent person. I want to post a proper tribute in a few days. I loved him dearly.

Walt died seven days ago and those days have been so emotional, so unrelentingly sad. But what has kept me going and kept me focused is this blog, That’s why I’m sitting here at an WiFi kiosk at Sacramento International Airport sharing some iof this with you all. I’m going to post a bit and will be back up to regular pace tomorrow.

I just wanted to let you know where I was at.