Gone but not forgotten...Saturday I lost a good friend...

our community lost a leader, a wife lost a husband and business partner, three children lost their Dad, three grandchildren lost their Grandpa, our industry lost a fine REALTOR, a church lost a faithful servant and many hearts are aching tonight.  Mine is among them...my friend and fellow agent Mike Carl passed away unexpectedely Satuday evening at the age of 58 and the words I keep uttering and hearing repeated over and over again are "stunned, shocked and unbelievable." 

Today we said "goodbye" to our friend...hundreds of REALTORS, affiliates, friends, families, parishoners and more gathered to celebrate a life well lived and a race well run.  Mike was known for always having a hug, a smile, and a kind, encouraging word to share.  He always, always, always made you laugh when you were in his presence and he always put more than 100% into everything he did.  He adored his family...his adorable grandkids, his two lovely daughters, his teenaged son and his lovely wife and business partner in "Team No Limits."  Everyone knew that he adored Kathy and her already successful real estate business only got better when he joined her a couple of years ago.

  This week has been hard for me...and I am not alone...

so many people today commented on the shock of this loss, it seemed that for a time real estate came to a rest in our area.  One of our finest was gone and somehow all those "critical" things that seemed so important, just faded into the background.  Tears flowed, goodbyes were said, tributes were made and many many many embraces were exchanged.  Mike's son played football in high school and the entire football team formed a double line as a tribute to Mike and to honor his son, then they each passed by his casket and placed a blue and white flower on it (the school colors).  The Marine Corps honor guard performed a flag ceremony and taps, presenting the flag to Kathy as a token of appreciation for his service to a grateful nation.  That was so tough for me because it brought back a flood of memories from four years ago when I lost my Dad and the Air Force presented the flag to my mother and I.  I am still slipping into outbursts of crying and finding myself deeply introspective about this loss.  I believe there is a message in every event in life for those who are open to it and I am trying to sort through the pain of this loss to find the message.  I want to grow from this...and be a better person tomorrow.

I know that August 20th will be a hard day for me...for many...Kathy and I are on the committee to organize our annual fundraising event for our real estate political action committee and Mike won't be there.  When I drive my golf cart up to the ninth hole during the tournament, like I do every year, Mike won't be sitting there with Kathy at the hole they always sponsor waiting for me with a smile, a hug and a cold bottle of water.  After a friend of mine was murdered years ago at age 29, I remember the words of his wife to me..."You never get over the loss, you just wake up one day and find that you got past it."  So very true are those words and something we can all aspire to.  Rest in peace Mike...