I was going to tell you all about my day today, it was full, but right now, I’m only going to tell you about one thing, an amazing tribute to a dear friend.

I told you yesterday that today I was going to Staten Island for the funeral of my friend AGM, who passed on February 14th. Here we are, on Staten Island, staying at my dad’s house for the night, so we can proprely toast, I’m not going to say ‘so we can say goodbye’, because we’re not really saying goodbye, not to AGM.

AGM is…wow…is, was one of those people who, the moment you met him, you were a friend, a sister, a brother, you weren’t just friends, you were family. He had an infectious smile, you couldn’t help but smile when you saw it, but when he laid it on you…then there was his laugh, yeah, you know it, don’t you…once you’re in, you’re in.

The service was at Scarmardella Funeral Home on Staten Island, not a lot of parking at all! We parked a few blocks away and walked in the rain, fitting for the day, don’t you think? When we got there, there weren’t a lot of people there, but we were there just at the time the funeral was called for, 2pm. We spoke with AGM’s sister and we all laughed, because during the planning, the funeral home was only going to give them one room. You’re wondering why we laughed, well…as I said it was only the start, and as the preacher said later, AGM was known as the Mayor of Staten Island!

We walked into the chapel room and the flowers, when we got there, were beautiful, and the urn his sister had picked, perfect. AGM was a huge superhero fan, and how fitting what she got for him, just look at the memorial card for him, what could be more perfect.

People started to arrive and I don’t think it stopped, ever! Even after we left, which was almost 6p when it was scheduled to be over, people were still coming. Some people stayed, like we did, some came in and out, but they came, in droves, that just says it all and when we went into the chapel room to listen to a few people and a preacher, it was truly standing room only, expected nothing less for him.

There were people I remembered and some I didn’t, people remembered me, and for that, I am so very humbled. Even if we weren’t sure who we were or the other person for that matter, we had a connection. ‘How did you know AGM?’, unless you knew the person directly or through AGM, that was the question of each moment, each minute.

Some of us knew AGM from PS 22, some of us knew him from IS 72, Curtis HS, Port Richmond HS, College of Staten Island [CSI]. Others knew him post school, Legends, Joe’s Broadway, The Red Spot, any number of bars down on Bay Street in Staten Island, The Rocky Horror Picture Show in NYC, cannot for the life of me remember the theater name, sorry!, CVS, and anywhere else you may have known this force of nature, and he was a force of nature, no one can tell me anything different, and I don’t think anyone would disagree.

We talked, we screamed when someone we knew walked in, and we knew them or recognized them, we hugged, oh wow, did we hug, we held on while we cried, didn’t let go, we held hands, we side hugged, it really was about having human contact, and at that moment, no matter what happened way back when, we were back in school, or wherever you see yourself, and we were in that moment, and we were with him. I told a few people, as we were standing there, I kept expecting him to walk through the door, the door to the chapel, the door to the funeral home, just walk in to where I/we were with that big, goofy grin, reaching in to give you the biggest, warmest, silliest bear hug you could handle, or maybe, like me, he scoops you up and you fall on the floor together laughing and say the same thing you always said ‘falls for me every time!’.

We spent three hours going through every emotion…greeting, hugging, smiling, crying, laughing, shock, some anger, you can’t have something like this happen and not be a little angry, I don’t have to tell you why, I’m at least hoping you understand and don’t judge us.

About 515p, they ushered those of us who were still there, and there were a lot of us, into the chapel and the preacher introduced three people who spoke, all from the heart, and all with such passion, and love, and, well, I was going to say more, but love is it, a story, an anecdote, made us laugh and cry, yup. Then the preacher spoke and the big one was ‘life is too short’, he said a mouthful. And those of us who reconnected, I have a feeling we’re going to stay in each other’s lives in some capacity and what more could you want?

When it was finally time to go, it was slow going. Say goodbye to this person, ‘are you going to Joe’s Broadway?’, say goodbye to that person ‘will I see you at Joe’s Broadway?’ hug him, hug her, ‘I’m so glad we saw each other’, hold this one tight, hold that one tight, ‘I’m so glad we reconnected, I’d really like to stay in touch, tell each other how you feel, that they matter, life is too short.

So, I say to you, dear readers, my dear friends, tried and true, steadfast friends, I appreciate you, I am so glad we’re talking again, I can’t see letting go again, and do you know why…life is too short.