Today, I remember my dear friend Andy.
He would have been 76 today. I miss him.
We hadn't known each other very long--our friendship first bloomed in 2020, in the Photo Group.
He was newly divorced, depressed and an incredibly good photographer. We hit it off right away!
His illness and death caught me by surprise; nobody close to him had any idea how sick he was. I couldn't figure it out. His ex-wife filled me in in the aftermath of his death. Of course, she knew him and his family history much better than I did.
Talking to her was a comfort. She and I had a lot in common and it brought us together to mourn, and to remember.
I've pretty much gotten used to the fact that he's gone, although the pain still strikes--just not as often or as hard. I try to focus on the really good times we had. It helps.
Writing about him today helps so much. Thank goodness for the Bereavement Group. This is a safe place for me.
Fair seas and following winds, dear Andy . . . 
= new reply since forum marked as read
I wanted to let you know that he hasn’t been gone a year. I’m posting because today’s his birthday.
He died December 12th. March 12th will be 3 months for him.
Thank you for your lovely words. 
❤️
This was taken by Grumpy Old Guy back in 2021, on Andy's first visit to California:
Here's the three of us at lunch on the same trip:
And this one I took at home on Andy's visit last August. My husband was clowning and Andy was smiling:
I forgot one! He and I thought it would be fun to photograph our hands together, so we did.
Enjoy!
The hand clasp! When I found out that Andy was dying, I remembered taking that photo, and I was so grateful that we had taken it. It's a vivid reminder of what we meant to each other.
Blessings to you as well.