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Top Comments: the Letting Go edition [1]

['This Content Is Not Subject To Review Daily Kos Staff Prior To Publication.']

Date: 2025-07-24

Letting go of a high school classmate, after-the-jump ...

But first: Top Comments appears nightly, as a round-up of the best comments on Daily Kos. Surely ... you come across comments daily that are perceptive, apropos and .. well, perhaps even humorous. But they are more meaningful if they're well-known ... which is where you come in (especially in diaries/stories receiving little attention). -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

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Recently, a high school classmate of mine died from the Big C. That was a malady I was unaware she had, even as she seemed to have suffered many others (heart surgery, a hysterectomy, ankle surgery, pneumonia, concussions). Six years ago, we tried long-distance dating (225 miles) which never really got off the ground. Now, in six weeks I’ll be attending her memorial service, yet want to post this tribute today … on what would have (should have) been her 69th birthday.

I’ve often written about a horrific junior high school experience … blossoming in high school, with a large graduating class (over 400). Jeanne and I spoke at a reunion last decade for at least ten minutes (probably more than we spoke in the four school years). We knew of each other, yet we couldn’t recall having any common classes, etc. She has a son with Aspergers, and so my employment at a social service agency for people with developmental disabilities led to a nice end.

When she sent me a note on Facebook Messenger, it seemed to be of the variety “Hey, if you’re ever in ____, look me up” that I often receive — at Netroots Nation, it’s a common theme — and that’s how I left it. Then, a year later I read between the lines …. and we made a date, when next I was visiting friends/family in the NY metro area.

It was at this time that I learned she also had quite a bit of emotional baggage. Contrasted with my having had a nearly idyllic family (and extended family), she told me of being in a religious cult when we were in high school, having an abusive father and spoke of marrying in her mid-30’s when she was worried about the biological clock, only to come to believe her husband wanted children more than a marriage. (There’s a lot more that I’ll refrain from saying).

In 2019

Still, we pushed on … yet her life began to resemble a Perils of Pauline meme, as family difficulties and illnesses often thwarted our plans to meet. (Being from the area where we grew up, I was able to pivot to meeting up with family and friends when that happened, so not a disaster). More than once she wrote, “You probably hate me”, and did I ever have to work to reassure her. I have a series of emails and DM’s over a few years, so we shared a lot even when we weren’t together. After several actual get-togethers, she admitted that she wasn’t up for a relationship, and felt she needed therapy (and was later diagnosed as having complex PTSD).

She felt that her life was emotionally improving … then last year she had heart surgery at the Cleveland Clinic (at least the venue was reassuring). Finally, this past February, it seemed as if her medical troubles had (at least) plateaued, in writing:

Your letters and cards have helped me tremendously through the past two years. How is your family? If you come to visit them, let me know. I am finally able to make plans.

The odds were against us having anything permanent … yet as noted, a bout of cancer overtook her. Her twenty-something sons are organizing the aforementioned memorial service, and she rightfully took great pride in them.

Chris and Conor flank her

In looking for an image, I thought this expressed her soul the best:

And to close with my favorite (nearly solo) piano piece … that describes her fully.

Now, on to Top Comments (and some Top Photos) :

Highlighted by jtg:

Highlighted by Lincoln Brigade:

Highlighted by RobbyK:

And from Ed Tracey, your faithful correspondent this evening ........

In the diary by TheCriticalMind about Krasnov’s attempted ambush of Fed chairman Jay Powell — Dan K cites some examples of mainstream media citing it as ... Powell-for-the-win.

And lastly: yesterday's Top Mojo - mega-mojo to the intrepid mik ...... who rescued this feature from oblivion:

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