A Story About Jamie

I met Jamie one time in his short life, and it was about six weeks before his death. I had attended a workshop at Christ Church Unity, and was saying goodbye to people near the parking lot. I saw Jamie playing with a friend and without thinking, spontaneously approached them and initiated a game in which I stood on a stoop and pretended to be giving a serious speech about a very important topic. Then, right in the middle of a sentence, I would 'involuntarily' fall (jump) off the stoop, jumbling the sentence into gibberish as I fell. Jamie laughed uproariously, and proceeded to get on the stoop and engage in his own 'serious' speech, followed by the clumsy fall. Giggles abounded as Jamie, his friend and myself took turns giving speeches and 'falling' off the stoop. I was touched and struck by how easily and quickly Jamie let me, an adult stranger, into his world, as well as how he instantly understood the spirit and the humor of what I had playfully created. Mychael and Elene told me later that Jamie adopted the game and made it his own, giving speeches all through that week and beyond. I left the parking lot with a glow of satisfaction, having made a connection with a very bright, joyous soul. I'm so glad I had a chance to meet him before his passing, though it was brief.

Scott Kalechstein