Every now and then a very special person walks quietly among us on this great planet. he or she is usually a person who is everything to everyone. One such person has been among us for the past twenty and a half years and we have now been faced with the reality that he is gone. Yes Matthew Klonkowski was a truly unique individual. He walked softly and did very much so make his impression upon us. That is why it is so hard to deal with the fact that he has chosen to leave us. We are left with this gaping hole that hurts so bad we cry and cry and it just doesn’t go away. Yet, we know that it was his time to move on to the next level of existence. we cry. We are sad. We want him back. We want to say so many things to him, but we can’t. We can only say them to ourselves and to others and hope that he is listening.
It has been just one week since the change was made. We question why. Why so young? Why on the lake? Why? Why? Why? But there are no answers. There is only the pain of knowing someone we care for has left us. We bear the sorrow of grief in this passing. We have pain so deep it hurts to even try to question why. All we want is Matt back. We want to go over to his house and chill; hack a bit; listen to good tunes. we want to debate philosophical issues with him. We want our friend back. But we cannot have this. What we have is each special moment we have shared with him. And of those there are many.
Those of us that knew Matt just before he made the transition knew him for not much more than four years. He cam to us by way of Racine, Wisconsin with his Mom and Dad. We are so grateful to his parents for allowing our paths to cross, for they are the ones that made that transition. Matt hung out with us after school, in between classes, and at nights. He played bass like a pro, always encouraging others to do the same. Matt hung out and played and laughed and studied. He did it all. He was an honors student and took it seriously. A teacher commented that he never missed a class which is quite out of the ordinary in college! What a guy!!
Matt had hopes and dreams. He had wishes and desires. Many of us know what these were. Many of us wonder why he didn’t stay around to fulfill them. We want to do those things we talked about doing. But we can’t. We have to go on now without him. It won’t be easy. It will be hard. We are so used to sliding by Matt’s on the way in and out of town. We go by and he’s not there. Friends are instead, surrounding themselves with each other to try and get through this difficult time.
We honor Matt with our words and deeds. We thank him for walking this way to touch us, to touch us so deeply that we don’t think we can go on without him. But we will. He may not be standing next to us on this physical plane we inhabit, but he is with us. And we will always hold those special thoughts and memories of times shared very close to heart. Matthew Klonkowski, friend and loved one, good-bye and good luck on your journey through this celestial plane of life.
Til we meet again.
Adieu,
Your friends.
