“Like a Diamond in the Sky”

One of the most defining moments for me (Dan) about Jamie (and Paul) was to watch them go through the nightly ritual of putting Larkin and John to bed. Every evening was special for not only the kids, but also for J and Paul (if not exhausting). Merrily marching up the stairs to the bath, then into the bedroom to put on pajamas, back to the bathroom to brush teeth, followed by the highly interactive and busy sit down on the floor (or in a chair) for book reading. It was so special to watch on the video monitor from downstairs when Maureen and I were there. The end point to the evening was to walk with them in their arms and sing the same personalized nighttime lullaby that was sung to Jamie when she was their age. And just as the lights went out, Jamie would say to them “Good night my Prince and Princess of Colorado”. Colorado Avenue is the name of the street that they live on.

Coming up with names like this was a forte of Jamie. She didn’t think them through; they just emerged from her internal loving psyche. And they always conveyed a sense of joy, love and fun. Over the years, there were many. Paul is affectionately known as “Paulie Pocket.” John in his early days was “the monster” and later, “John-Boy”. Larkin started as “LuLu” and somehow morphed into the “Kapoozer”. Reagan (in utero) was “Peanut” (although Pocket may have come up with that name?). Reagan is currently known as “Rae-Rea or Reags”, but none of us believe that these are up to Jamie’s high standard of namery. J’s name for Kathryn over their many years as best friends & sisters is “Kiki or Ki” and she is still known as Aunt Ki to John and Larkin today. Douglas is and always will be “Mufasa”. Maureen is “Mamon” to her children (including Paul). Me, well I am affectionately known as “Croque Monsieur” due to its great French sounding pronunciation (This actually means grilled ham & cheese sandwich in French). I, in turn, gave her a French name as well, “Ma Petite Charcouterie” (means my little butcher shop in French, but it has such a flow to it). And then there’s the beautiful name she gave our somewhat aging car, the “Hunk-A-Junk”, always pushing us to get rid of it.

The point is, she always loved you with a sense of joy and fun and made you feel special. And this love that she has/had was infectious to all who came in contact with her. She is and was an incredible combination of forceful competition, intellectual challenge (mostly to herself), and was tremendously caring to almost everyone (even to the toll collector on the highway). She would say to me that everyone deserves to be recognized and acknowledged. I have ever since always made it a point to say hello to every toll collector with whom I come in contact. Intelligent, sharp as a tack and a leader she was, but most of all driven by an unparalleled set of personal values that put her husband, children and family first. A set of principles that both she and Paul shared with determination (and still do). Hence, I am quite confident about who (not what) these children will grow up to be.

Ever since Jamie left us, Paul has wisely shifted away from singing that original night-time lullaby to the children. Instead, he now sings to them “Twinkle Twinkle Little Star,” and they sing it with him as well, with reflective stars shining on the ceiling in the dark. The second verse includes “Like A Diamond In The Sky” and that is Jamie. While she’s physically gone from them and us, I know that she is that bright Diamond looking down on them, loving them and giving them the true guidance that is in her heart and her soul. And they somehow know it’s her up there, of that I am sure. When Paul is not at home on rare occasion when they go to bed, I (or Hap) get to fill in for him. We both do our best to make sure that we close out the day right for them, and in the tradition that Jamie and Paul have established. What a joy. These two little ones actually know that it was Mommy who gave them the names “Princess and Prince of Colorado,” and just maybe they know too that she is that “Diamond In The Sky” when they sing the song and I say good night to them.

– Daniel F. O’Brien