So many goodbyes

The last few days have been decidedly bittersweet. On the positive side, Hurricane Danny turned out to be a spectacular non-event: It rained much of the day Saturday, but the fierce winds never materialized and, aside from a little extra oomph in the waves, you would never have known a tropical storm was passing through. "Memory House" continues to play to very appreciative audiences, and Kathy and Natalia continue to give vivid, compelling performances. Although it can be difficult to keep a show fresh when you're performing it five or six times a week, they have managed to do exactly that.
On the other hand, summer is quickly drawing to a close. This Week has closed up shop and everyone is heading off in their own directions. My co-workers Scott, Anna and Danielle are already gone and Zach will be leaving tomorrow. Jessica, who was the first This Weeker I met, takes off for home Wednesday and will be returning to the island, but by the time she gets back I will be gone. I'm excited to see them moving on to new opportunities, but of course I can't help but feel a bit sad, too.
I also learned yesterday that my friend and former co-worker Thea Lapham had lost her third battle with cancer. The news was not entirely unexpected, yet that didn't make it any less hard to take. I wrote about Thea in this July entry. Uterine cancer is notoriously merciless, and apparently her body simply couldn't take one more battle.
Not that Thea was ever the type to shy away from anything. Vivacious and strong of spirit, she was one of those people who saw every challenge as an opportunity and always made sure she finished the job. When I was training to be a DJ back in college, I was told to try to speak with "a smile in your voice." At first, I didn't know what that meant; eventually, I figured out to do it without sounding phony or overly sweet. I was reminded of that advice every time I talked to Thea on the phone, as I often did when I was at the Gazette. She constantly had that smile in her voice, even when she was struggling with health problems or having trouble getting the information she needed for her story. Nothing got her down. As sorry as I am to lose her, I can take comfort in the inspiration she provided to everyone around her, both as a gifted writer and as a caring, compassionate person who routinely seized the opportunity to brighten up the world a little bit. Certainly she deserved a much longer life, but the happiness and kindness she shared with all of us will be remembered for a long, long time to come.