We had a moment...

At the Side Street Inn on a random Saturday night in December, a few of my co-workers and I rang in the holidays with a long overdue get together. Tucked away in the back of the restaurant, 4 long tables of QMC employees stuffed their faces full of SSI's signature pork chops, fried rice, and poke. There were many games to be played, pictures to be taken, and an obscene amount of alcohol to be consumed. Crown and coke anyone? 

As anyone from Hawaii can testify, the party doesn't REALLY get started until you turn that karaoke machine on. So for $1/song and with the use of what looked like a 13 inch tv, Ricky Martin's classic, "She bangs" hit the sound system and suddenly a roar of laughs, screams, and obscenities overtook the room. While our group was thoroughly amused, i could see that other non party going patrons were less enthused by what one diner called noise pollution. Eventually, our mood settled as the strum of a light guitar began to play and Extreme's 1991 metal ballad, "More than words" cued up on the mini screen. In an instant, our entire room began to belt out the lyrics with so much emotion and conviction that you'd think they wrote the song themselves. On this particular night- i remember scanning the room and reminding myself to live in this exact moment. I sat across the table from my friend, Pros who had an uncanny resemblance to my uncles back in Jersey and for reasons unbeknownst to him, somehow made me feel closer to home. We caught each others eye as we sang "then you wouldn't have to say that you love me, 'cause i already know." That was the last time we saw each other until i got the news today that he passed away. 

While i generally try not to give advice, at least not overtly, tonight i tell you this...be present in your moments- you may just have the ability to touch someone's heart, heal someone's homesickness, or make someone smile. 

Rest in peace Pros

Saying I love you
Is not the words I want to hear from you
It's not that I want you
Not to say, but if you only knew
How easy it would be to show me how you feel
More than words is all you have to do to make it real
Then you wouldn't have to say that you love me
Cos I'd already know
What would you do if my heart was torn in two
More than words to show you feel
That your love for me is real
What would you say if I took those words away
Then you couldn't make things new
Just by saying I love you
More than words
Now I've tried to talk to you and make you understand
All you have to do is close your eyes
And just reach out your hands and touch me
Hold me close don't ever let me go
More than words is all I ever needed you to show
Then you wouldn't have to say that you love me
Cos I'd already know
What would you do if my heart was torn in two
More than words to show you feel
That your love for me is real
What would you say if I took those words away
Then you couldn't make things new
Just by saying I love you
More than words