Porque?

Tonight I'm going to a memorial service for my friend John's wife, Kim. She died last week of melanoma, at 49. She leaves a 13 year old daughter, Elizabeth, John, and her parents.

I met Kim in 1984, when I was clerking at a big Miami law firm, and John was a young lawyer there. John had graduated UF Law two years before, but had been an Air Force fighter pilot between college and law school, which all of us clerks thought was EXTREMELY cool. He was dating Kim, a very pretty blonde who he met at UF, and the two of them were "raising" Winchester, a gorgeous black lab. Kim was lovely.

I've kept pretty close to John over the years, and we've referred some cases back and forth, but have only seen Kim a few times. Every year we get a picture of Kim and Elizabeth in their Christmas card, and Elizabeth has inherited her mom's good looks. Wifey always comments that their card could have been painted by Rockwell.

Kim was a gifted teacher at UM's Debbie School for disabled kids, where she won awards and developed programs. When her daughter was born, she left her job and became a "super mom," starting charity programs for her daughter's girl scout troop, and devoting herself to her daughter and John.

John, realizing just this year that his wife was dying, merged his solo practice with a larger firm, so he would have the backup necessary to allow him to be a single dad. John's my kind of guy -- a realist who puts his family first.

I'm left to ponder why this stellar woman was taken so young. I know there's no answer, but still I question the unfairness. he lesson, as I've impressed upon daughter #2 since she was about 5 years old, is that life ISN'T fair.

So, we'll go to the Palmetto Bay church tonight, and I'm sure hear stirring words about a fine woman, a devoted wife and mother, and community leader. And I'll sit there, watching my friend fight back the tears like the true Air Force officer and gentleman he is, and wish I was drinking beer with him at a Coconut Grove bar, laughing about the absurd career we've both chosen. And I'll keep hearing the question "Why?" in my head, over and over.