Hey, Mom! The Explanation.

Here's the permanent dedicated link to my first Hey, Mom! post and the explanation of the feature it contains.

Friday, December 9, 2016

Hey, Mom! Talking to My Mother #521 - Finneas Johnson RIP

The Gloaming of your Day - Jonathan Hilton
Hey, Mom! Talking to My Mother #521 - Finneas Johnson RIP

Hi Mom,

I have already been writing about this tragedy that I learned about on Monday.

I did not feel it was my story to tell, so I gave no details. And yet, I was trying to write about it because this is my way to make sense of the world, especially those things that don't make sense.

Monday, December 5, 2016

Tuesday, December 6, 2016

Hey, Mom! Talking to My Mother #518 - And there are always puppies... Dog Holiday Card


I consider Bruce Johnson to be one of my close friends. I also knew Finn personally and had played against him specifically in KUDL since he started with us at the age of 12.

My heart is breaking for my dear friend Bruce and his whole family.

Now that the obituary has been published I feel that sharing it in this way is no different than sharing it on Facebook or via Twitter.

Finn, you will be missed. You were taken from our world far too soon. For all my grief about you, Mom, that's not something I can say about you as you were almost 79 when you died. There's order of magnitude to tragedy, which is reflected in my other post this week about Big O Notation, which reflect this concept.

Wednesday, December 7, 2016

Our KUDL community has formed an embracing circle of love around your family, Finn.

A friend of mine sent me these sage words of wisdom, which may be words we can all cleave to:

"Each death tears a hole in the fabric of the community. It destroys the threads beyond repair no matter if the death comes as an expected end to life (as we all must face) or as an unexpected shock. There is no way to fix the fabric, only to eventually patch what remains."
Beyond that, what can be said?

Finneas Johnson obituary




Finneas C. Johnson

Obituary

Johnson, Finneas C. Kalamazoo, MI Finneas (Finn) Johnson died Sunday afternoon, December 4, 2016. Finn was the beloved son of Jennifer Hall, brother of Grady and Cian Johnson, and son of Bruce Johnson. Born on December 27, 1997, Finn was a lifelong resident of Kalamazoo, where he was fortunate to be part of a lively and close-knit neighborhood. Finn was passionate about many things - primarily soccer, science, family and friends. Finn's athletic ability was evident early on and while he enjoyed many sports, his true love was for the Beautiful Game. He played soccer for Kalamazoo Central High School, Alliance FC, and most recently for Kalamazoo College. Finn delighted in the mental and physical aspects of the game and thrived on its competitive nature. Most of all he loved being part of a team and treasured the relationships he formed with teammates and coaches. Finn had an intense work ethic, set high expectations for himself, and was driven to succeed in all of his undertakings. A 2016 graduate of Kalamazoo Central High School and the Kalamazoo Area Mathematics and Science Center (KAMSC), Finn earned many academic and athletic accolades. He had recently completed his first semester at Kalamazoo College with a 4.0 grade average, an accomplishment of which he was justly proud. He hoped to eventually earn a doctorate in microbiology and pursue a career as a research scientist. Finn had a bright, inquisitive and quirky mind. He asked questions others might not and was often reluctant to settle for half-truths. His not-so-secret ambition was to become the first person to achieve photosynthesis thereby becoming known as "Photo Finn". In every pursuit, Finn's greatest achievement was his ability to connect with people. He relished time with friends old and new, his parents, brothers, grandparents, extended family members, and his beloved dog, Strelka. He often took Strelka over to campus to visit with his dog-deprived K-college friends. Although only 18 years old, Finn had already learned that life was best lived in community. Finn will be remembered for his sly wit, charming smile, and budding sartorial style. Most of all, though, he will be remembered for his generous spirit and for being humble and kind. Finn struck an imposing physical presence and yet had a tender inner spirit that was evident to all who knew him. His mom often compared him to the classic children's literature character, Ferdinand the Bull: a gentle giant who often wanted to sit just quietly and smell the flowers. He will be deeply missed. In addition to his immediate family, Finn is survived by his darling grandparents, Charles and Linda Hall, whom he loved dearly and who adored him in return; his uncles, Andrew Hall (Amy Doyle) of Atlanta; Ed Hall (Claudia Boot) of Fort Collins, Colo.; Rob Johnson of Pinconning, Mich.; Cass (Julie) Johnson of Kalamazoo; his aunt, Alma Hall of Fort Collins, Colo.; and his cousins Alex, Duncan, Daphne, Pia, Lucia, and Axel. A memorial service will be held later in December, details to be announced. Gifts in Finn's memory may be directed to the Kalamazoo College Hornet Athletic Association Men's Soccer Team, KAMSC Annual Fund, or the Union for Concerned Scientists. Arrangements were made by the Langeland Family Funeral Homes, Memorial Chapel, 622 S. Burdick St. www.langelands.com. - See more at: http://obits.mlive.com/obituaries/kalamazoo/obituary.aspx?n=finneas-c-johnson&pid=183026187&fhid=4568#sthash.ok4oHGXj.dpuf


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Reflect and connect.

Have someone give you a kiss, and tell you that I love you.

I miss you so very much, Mom.

Talk to you tomorrow, Mom.

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- Days ago = ## days ago

- Bloggery committed by chris tower - date - time

NOTE on time: When I post late, I had been posting at 7:10 a.m. because Google is on Pacific Time, and so this is really 10:10 EDT. However, it still shows up on the blog in Pacific time. So, I am going to start posting at 10:10 a.m. Pacific time, intending this to be 10:10 Eastern time. I know this only matters to me, and to you, Mom. But I am not going back and changing all the 7:10 a.m. times. But I will run this note for a while. Mom, you know that I am posting at 10:10 a.m. often because this is the time of your death.

twilight in the forest of New Hampshire

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