{"id":915,"date":"2008-10-15T11:22:00","date_gmt":"2008-10-15T15:22:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/johncohn.org\/base\/2008\/10\/15\/tuesday-night-andrew-levitts-birthday\/"},"modified":"2008-10-15T11:22:00","modified_gmt":"2008-10-15T15:22:00","slug":"tuesday-night-andrew-levitts-birthday","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/johncohn.org\/base\/2008\/10\/15\/tuesday-night-andrew-levitts-birthday\/","title":{"rendered":"Tuesday night – Andrew Levitt’s birthday"},"content":{"rendered":"
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\t\t\t\t\t\t Today my friend Crolyn sent me a pointer to today’s entry in Steven Levitt’s blog<\/a>. Steven co-wrote the book ‘Freakanomics’ which is one of my all time favorite non-fiction books.   Today would have been Steven’s son Andrew’s 10th birthday. . Andrew died ajustr after his first birthday of meningitis.. His post today was really touching.. he wote.. <\/p>\n

October 14, 2008,  10:59 am<\/small><\/p>\n

My Son Andrew Would Have Turned 10 Today<\/h2>\n

By Steven D. Levitt<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

\t\t\t.. –> end post-info –><\/p>\n

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My son Andrew<\/strong> would have turned 10 today. <\/p>\n

I usually try to say a little something about him on the blog around this time of year.<\/p>\n

This year, I commemorate Andrew through the words of a new friend, John Latham<\/strong><\/a>. In his day job, Latham is a leading climate scientist. He also moonlights as a poet<\/a>. <\/p>\n

I generally don\u2019t have much appreciation for poetry. I have to
\nadmit, when Latham pulled a book of verse he had written out of his
\nbriefcase and handed it to me, I would have told him to keep it if that
\nhadn\u2019t seemed incredibly rude.<\/p>\n

But it turns out that, like me, John Latham had a son who died. The poems in the book, entitled Sailor Boy<\/em><\/a>, are dedicated to his son.<\/p>\n

These wonderful poems transported me back to the time of Andrew\u2019s
\ndeath in a way I never could have imagined. I would never want to stay
\nin that state permanently, but nonetheless it is a gift to be able to
\ngo back and visit once in a while. As time passes, it gets harder and
\nharder to reach that place.<\/p>\n

Perhaps my favorite poem in the collection (although it is an odd one) is the one I\u2019ve reproduced here:<\/p>\n

\n

Feast<\/strong><\/p>\n

She cuts in before I can explain.
\nYes, I recollect your booking:
\nThree-tier cake. July.
\nMarinated prawns and quiche.<\/em><\/p>\n

I say we have to bring it forward.
\nIt wasn\u2019t my reception, but my son\u2019s.
\nNot his wedding, now.
\nHis funeral.<\/p>\n

At last she breaks the silence.
\nHow about some nice pork pies?
\nFolk eat more when they\u2019re sad.<\/em><\/p>\n

I hear you laughing. <\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

Andrew, we still miss you every day.<\/p>\n

Addendum: Thanks so much to all the kind folks who posted comments below; they were profoundly moving.<\/p>\n

I posted a comment there:<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

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