Boomer

What got me most choked up during Rich Hagan's memorial service was the mention of one of his baseball nicknames, "Boomer." All of a sudden his passing felt real. This huge and overwhelming image of loss of a beloved father, husband, brother, and friend was simplified.

For me and my boys, nicknames are just kinda there, nothing to dwell on: Tyler is "Hagan," Jordan is "JC," Andrew is "Hooner." They're my boys, my brothers, and part of why my life is good. That's just how it is. For Rich's boys, he's "Boomer," an unquestioned part of their lives, their boy, and their brother.

I always think about how it's hard to engage with death because the memorial for the person makes them feel so alive. I met Rich maybe twice but to engage with his story and those who loved him almost made it feel like a third. Cheezy bullshit aside, this man lives on in his family and friends, and even as a bit of an outsider at the service, I could feel that.

It's amazing how a loving community and a living God can elevate the idea of death from a black and white concept to something so colourful, far-reaching, and hopeful.