It is such a gift to be able to match the stories Michael has shared with me with these posted pieces of his childhood and college years. Your words and photos are bright reminders of all of that which made him distinctly Michael. Im a little late in joining, but I would love to include what I can about this amazing man in having shared the last year together. When I met Michael, I was hosting a Super Bowl party in 2013 at an apartment in his building. I had a boyfriend actually, and being that he wasnt so popular with my friends, one of my closest girlfriends, having met Michael through her own boyfriend, decided she would invite Michael to stop by the party. I had no idea of her intentions but when he sauntered in wearing cowboy boots and a baseball cap, grinning ear to ear with those dimples, it was hard to miss him. My friend of course asked what I thought and I responded that I had a boyfriend! 24 hours later I did not. That same girlfriend gave me six months to be on my own and then one afternoon she worked her magic. She invited me to bowl, her boyfriend invited Michael to bowl, and nine hours later he and I were still attached at the hip. It was the longest date of my life, and one of the happiest- the kind that you text your girlfriends about the second you get dropped off at home. I was smitten, and thankfully so was he. We never looked back. I love Michael for reasons I cant explain and some that I can. I love that he was such a fantastic brother and loves Dana in such a special way, when he called her grasshopper, when he brought her french vanilla creamer because she ran out, when he worried about her unnecessarily, when he said goooodd morninggggg when calling her even if it was the middle of the afternoon, and how evident it was that they were a package deal. So many of his high school and college stories he shared included her. I love that his grandfather was the epitome of a mans man for him, and his father was a beacon and life long mentor. I cant count the times he would smile that crinkly eyes smile and say, When my dad used to... Every story ended with the kind of happy sigh that says I love you without having to say it. I love that he cherished his parents marriage and it was one he constantly wanted to emulate. He told me often how much I reminded him of his mom and how much he was like his dad- except Michael and I both have Irish tempers! He marveled at how graceful and collected his mother is and liked to remind me that she was the glue. I think that was a not so subtle hint for me. ;) I love that he deeply enjoyed saying or doing something so ridiculous that it made me gasp or exclaim Michael John! There was no shortage of laughter there. I love that the first time he invited me to his apartment I asked if he had just moved in and he said, no why? I looked around at the art on the floor leaning against the walls and the stacks of papers piled sky high on his desk and buffet, and refrigerator with only condiments and beer, and said, oh, no reason. Months later after we filed the papers, hung the art, added a few pieces of decor, and bought him some groceries, he proudly told friends he no longer lived in a frat house! His appreciation for the little things makes me so happy. I think he learned to love the little things through a life in Iowa. His farm, the lake, his dog, and that simplicity are what made him. Michael talked about home so often, and it made me love him even more. Most of all I love his humor, whether it was knowing the right moment in serious conversations to look at me crossed eyed, adding levity or finding the wrong moments, looking at me cross eyed, and saying no? Not now? And then looking at me with only one eye crossed and asking, how about this? Or the time he rearranged my clothes piled on his bathroom floor into the shape of a person complete with his sneakers on.. I nearly jumped out of my pjs the next morning when I walked in. And his dance moves, sometimes smooth but sometimes also hysterically and purposefully spastic or jig like or ostrich like or whatever other ridiculousness he was into at the moment. And then there is the list stored in my phone of Doranisms. The last update was May 3 at 6:14 pm. I was all set to move to Charlotte, NC - a decision made prior to meeting Michael. Fast forward, and we were in love..he asked me if I really was going to leave. I told him not if he didnt want me to, to which he said my favorite Doranism of all, If you gotta quit shopping, youre what you go to the store for. The wording was so ridiculous, we laughed so hard we cried. But it was so Michael, and the sentiment came through loud and clear. Needless to say, my next apartment was not in Charlotte. :) When it came time to moving in, there was a lot of consolidating happening. We both knew downsizing was a must, but I think we each had big plans for it being the other person doing the downsizing! I mistakenly asked Michael why he needed two of the exact same Hawkeyes sweatshirts and in a matter of fact manner he let me know that they were different- one said wrestling, the other said football. I knew that was the end of that conversation and sure enough, both sweatshirts found a place in our new apartment. And then there was the time he tried to rename my dog Moose...he asked which I preferred: Mucifer or Musselini. I was horrified until we went to visit Dana and he introduced me to her cats he lovingly referred to as Charles Manson and Hitler..his own take on their actual names that begin with a C and an H. And speaking of Moose.. I love the way he spoiled her rotten, but quite possibly one of my all time favorite moments was Michael picking me up with Aloe Blaacs Im the Man blaring, windows down in his big ole SUV, shades on looking like the man, and there on the middle console was my ten pound fluffy shitzu poodle- his partner in crime and what every hard core man totes around, of course! I love that this tough, cool guy had a heart of gold and wasnt afraid to be a softie. He wrote me notes often and secretly saved every card Ive ever gifted him. It was a beautiful and emotional moment for me to find all of the cards piled together on our kitchen table when I returned home from a long trip on the day he passed away. I could go on and on about him and our moments- the friends and family he shared with me, the cities and countries we visited, the holidays spent together, the nights out on the town and the quiet moments in our home, what he has done for me and how he has changed me. But none of it could say appropriately all that Michael means to me and how saddened I am for everyone that misses him. There is, however, so much peace in knowing that I am one of so many people that he made feel on top of the world. For Michael, I will use a phrase I often used, much to his amusement, when wrapping up a ten minute story.. Long story short, as you know, Michael John, you are indeed the man, love.
Posted on: Sun, 05 Oct 2014 06:21:28 +0000
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