Today would have been Adam’s birthday. November 14th a long time ago is the day the world got its’ first glimpse of the little baby boy that would make a huge impact on everyone and everything around him. Adam Greene was truly larger than life. His bold and extremely extraverted personality, along with his tenacity and heartfelt desire to connect with others, are only a part of the legacy he left. I loved him then and love him now. I believed Adam would be my forever person, and I guess he was. It’s just that forever ended way too soon. This is something I’ve had to live thru and reconcile to over the past few years. Life…. I’m sure his mom and sisters would agree, Adam was a force to be reckoned with. He definitely made a big splash. I’m forever grateful for what Adam gave me. I say that with all the love I possess. I love and miss him deeply.

For me today, I choose to remember the good moments we shared. The memories we made together. I will celebrate those memories, if for no other reason than to bring me a little joy and happiness. In doing so, they keep a tiny part of Adam alive in me. To be certain, Adam and I made lots of memories. Memories like dinner out on the town, going to the Bluegrass Festival, getting to see “Wicked” at the Fox Theater, just walking around the park, and many others. I cherish them all.

FYI: I’m writing this post in fits and spurts while working on yet another task to keep me busy and productive. Retirement life still feels a bit odd to me. Today’s task is cleaning out my primary bedroom closet to donate unwanted clothing to a local mission. Now, to the point as to why I share this seemingly off topic tangent. I found some of Adam’s clothes today, buried deep in my closet. I placed them there a long time ago so they would be there when he needed them again. The outfit I found today is one he wore on our last Valentine’s Day date night. It brought back a flood of happy memories. Now, the sweater he wore that day is folded neatly on the foot of my bed. Alongside it is his favorite plaid shirt and the dark blue trousers he loved so dearly. I can’t seem to get rid of them. They were there for a reason. There for me to find. To remind me. It may not seem like much to some, but finding that sweater, his plaid shirt and those trousers reminded me of our time that weekend. I wanted a romantic weekend filled with cuddles, flowers, and chocolates. He wanted TV, naps and of course cuddles. We compromised and had both. Memories. I’m Thankful for those memories. I needed this today.

So, today I remember Adam. For me he is and will always be forever young. He will always have that bright sparkle in his eyes. He will always have that deep dark voice and loving embrace that felt sooo comfortable as if it could protect me from anything bad the world could toss at me. He will always have his dark hair and fair complexion. He will always be tall and thin. (BTW, those trousers have a 30-inch waist, darn him) He will always be that young man that all little children and animals seemed to gravitate to. He was loving, kind, and gentle and they seemed to connect with him. They knew and I knew it too, Adam was authentic and genuine, and sincere. Yes, he had his faults, but if you truly knew him you could easily overlook them. We all have our faults and such.

So, today I wish you a Happy Birthday Adam Greene. I will always love you and the time we had together. I miss you.