Feeling Kara’s warmth

Approximately 8 years ago when Jason was studying in Austria for a semester, Kara, Emily, Jean and I went over to visit him. We had a great FAMily trip (but missing Chris),checking out Jason’s school at the Abbey; getting caught in an early evening snowstorm while returning to the village from exploring the hillside country on our BICYCLES!; stopping sometimes 2 or 3 times daily at cafes to partake in the irresistable pastries and coffees; and then moving on to a ski resort to ski for a few days. One of our traditions is to buy a souvenir from a trip, and Kara was looking for a jacket. As many of you know, Kara often took her time looking for just the right item to purchase, and she was not one to make quick decisions about what to wear. On one of the first streets we walked, a store owner was wheeling out a rack of jackets and Kara eyed a muted red and black checked jacket that reminded me of an old hunting jacket of Kara’s Grampa Joe. It looked good on Kara but it was way too expensive for her souvenir budget. We stopped at several shops while she tried on other coats, but none of them seemed right to her. So we did what we often do when we are getting tired and cranky; we stopped for something to eat! The pastry break and the weariness of shopping wore us down, and we found our way back to the first store and the muted red and black jacket. Kara overcame the “too expensive” objection by suggesting that she and I would “share” the jacket, and so we bought it. While I may have worn the coat once or twice before she went to college, I never saw it again until she graduated. She decided not to take it to Brooklyn, so I finally got the opportunity to “share” our purchase, and I wore it alot in that year. Just before Christmas 2000 I purchased a black coat and decided to donate our jacket from Austria to the Rescue Mission, along with some sweaters and other winter clothing. As I was unloading the items from my car to give to the attendant at the donation center, I was inspired to “exchange” the new black coat I was wearing for the jacket I was handing over to the attendant, and I drove home wearing our jacket from Austria! Kara was killed in Africa three weeks later. The label in the jacket says: “Adds quality to life. This Wild Wear is produced to follow you in your hardest adventure in town and country.” This journey of mourning is indeed our hardest adventure in life, but together with the wonderful memories of love shared with Kara; the support from family and friends; a deep faith; and the warmth of our jacket from Austria, I will continue to live life fully…for myself and for Kara.