The 30th Toast

There were thirty; one for each year of Greg's (ongoing) life.  Imagine the fourth when you realize Drew was serious about having thirty of them.  Are we really going to do this twenty-six more times?  Somebody please make it stop.  But anger and denial quickly gave way to acceptance as I grieved for the bar experience I had pictured on our mile-long walk to the Commonwealth bar in Park Slope.  The beer no doubt helped me embrace the activity.  And no, we did not match a drink to each toast, we merely sipped (occasionally gulped) from our pint glasses.

The toasts ran the expected gamut of things twenty-somethings say.  “To Greg because at the beginning of Sophomore year, I went from class to class where none of my friends were until I got to Latin and there you were – a beacon of hope that at least one class wouldn’t suck.”  “To Greg for all those Friday afternoons playing music in my parents’ basement.”  “To Greg because he has long hair.”

Like the hours in a party, the first few toasts took forever where the last few went by in a heartbeat.  And then it was on us, the final toast!  We probably should have known he was going to do it.  He hadn’t done one yet.  He’s so soft spoken it wouldn’t have been a shock if he had just sat there quietly laughing at us as we grew more and more boisterous.  When he spoke, the weight of his words had the quieting effect that you usually only see in movies.  I think a big part of why I liked it so much is because anyone who has someone to share a beer with can relate to what he said.  His toast was a much-needed life-raft in a sea of struggle trying to find balance and happiness.  I'll try to reconstruct it, so imagine a shy thirty-year-old mischievously half-smiling as he raises his glass...

“We work.  And we do fun things together.  It’s been a bit of a journey.  But you know, with work, and life… it’s just… things are pretty horrible a lot of the time.  Most of the time.  You know, it’s hard.
pause
But you guys, having you guys, it’s okay.
big smile
It's all great.
ahem
Thank you.”