Dear Claire,
It has been a serious while since we have last spoke. I believe the last time we met was in Boston, when you had just received word of your acceptance to medical schools, at a restaurant on the corner of Kilmarnock and Peterborough, Fenway, Boston. You were so happy with your friends, and I figured a casual "Hello", a handshake, and a short exchange of pleasantries would have sufficed. At that time, I had thought that we would meet again, once we were physicians - it is, after all, a small world within the medical profession.
I am deeply saddened that such a fantasy will never be physically manifested.
The first place we had met was in the BU Chamber Ensemble. You played the clarinet, Tamsin, the oboe, and I, the piano. I hope you remember what we tried to play -
http://youtu.be/GFuMQWd1o5A
If you don't recall, it was a disaster! We called it off as we couldn't find enough time to practice the technicalities for the concert. Perhaps another day, we had thought.
Then we had left for the summer. No one had heard from you, but it was mainly because no one had the motive to keep in touch. Upon returning, we met again in chamber ensemble. It was then that you had stated you developed some form of skin cancer, and spent the entire summer sleeping because the therapy was so draining. I did not ask anything further as I could only imagine how draining and difficult it was to tell the story so many times over again. Tamsin said, "Well, you do have very fair skin." That was as far as we spoke about that. You had looked revitalized, but there was a lingering lethargy through your eyes and smile. But I did not ask anything further.
Afterwards, we went our separate ways. I had stayed in Boston to work, while you had another year for your undergraduate time at BU. Finally, the inevitable congratulations and status updates on Facebook made it easy to deduce that you had gotten into medical school. You were headed to Northwestern's Feinberg, as I was headed to New York Medical College. I had missed an invitation to your going-away party last year, as I had already moved out of Boston and was planning my trip to Europe before I started my medical school career. In hindsight, I deeply regret not making the drive to Boston to see a future colleague and friend.
I do not think I have the correct medium to express the loss that I and those who have known you currently feel. But know that you have made an impression on many people. With me, it was through your musicality. I have heard you play, I have played with you, and I have been privileged to take part in your musical pursuits at Boston University. In addition, I knew you through our common interest in medicine, our fascination with the human body and spirit, and our motivation to become physicians. These are two very weighted testaments of your incredible spirit and your extraordinary person; the impression you have left me will be deeply imbedded on my person as well.
So, Claire, you will be in my thoughts as I progress through my career in medicine. In addition, you will be in my thoughts when I play the piano. But most importantly, you will not be forgotten because of the impressions you've made in so many more individuals, including myself. We all celebrate you as the incredible person that you were. We lament your passing.
With the utmost respect, deepest warmth, longing nostalgia of times past, and many more thoughts of you in the future.
Henry
