Today I’m remembering my friend Lloyd. Lloyd and I met in Kelowna General Hospital where we were both youth volunteers. Within a few minutes of meeting we discovered not only that we had both lived in Calgary, but that we had actually been in the same junior high in grade seven. I even remembered him playing trumpet in the orchestra for the school musical. This connection forged us into fast friends, and we never looked back.
Lloyd was funny. He was quick witted and he was a master of puns. We didn’t live near each other, and we didn’t attend the same school, but for a couple of years we routinely went out to movies together and giggled through our evenings. At first I wondered whether we were brewing a romance, but he was pretty clear that we were ‘just friends,’ and that was okay with me. I had romances brewing other places, and I was happy to enjoy my very entertaining friend.
Lloyd had his demons though, and sadly his demons overtook him while he was still a young man. He died more than a decade ago. I miss him a lot and think of him often. I wish he’d had the strength to carry on. I wish he’d stayed around to find a love and a family of his own. I wish he knew how valued he was.
I dedicated Grace Awakening to Lloyd and named a character after him. They’re quite a lot alike, Grace’s Lloyd and mine. In particular, they share a sense of humour that leaves everyone groaning as they chuckle. I loved visiting Lloyd as I wrote elements of him into the pages of this book; it was like my friend was living again in the words. When readers come up to me shaking their heads and saying, “I love Lloyd!” I smile and say, “Yeah, me too.”
Miss you, Lloyd. Keep ’em groaning in heaven.
Shawn L. Bird 