A familiar face in a big crowd can bring a rush of memories back to surface without warning or waver. -J. Silvera
His face was out of context when I spotted him in the second pew back on the far left side of the church Sunday night while singing for Mass. Mr. Bigg, 11th grade Geography teacher, very tall and easy-going; I think I got an A in his class. I don’t remember a lot of my teacher’s names or the subjects they taught. But, I do remember Geography junior year and a boy named Shawn who sat in front of me. Sometimes it seemed as if his desk were turned permanently backwards for as much time he spent turning around to talk to me, tell a joke or ask a question. This was the first time I personally experienced the energetic, friendly, humorous and confident Shawn Silvera.
It overwhelmed me to remember the day we met knowing all too clearly the day we were separated. I tried to concentrate on singing while balancing the flashbacks going on inside of me.
Driving home from church I passed the Pizza Hut where we ate nearly every Friday night after Shawn’s football games. With a glance inside, I recognized the low red glow around our favorite table. I wanted to order a Dr. Pepper and Garlic Cheesy Bread just to recall time without heaviness. My head was deep in thought remembering how we were introduced. In many ways, meeting Shawn felt like opening up a very good story – reading it for the first time and never wanting to put it down.
The story still intrigues me. Two young people fall in love. They build a life. They build a very good life. Life is tragically taken. Love remains to heal the brokenness. The story retells itself. Out of loss, hope is born. What feels like the end of life becomes the beginning.
The truth – we all have an intriguing story. We all have a story to share.
