A superpower I wish I had

It's a game most children have played at least once - the question of 'if you were a superhero' or 'if you could have a supernatural power, what would it be?' Things like being invisible is a popular answer or possessing superhuman strength is another.

I wasn't sure what trait I'd like to possess - until last week. If I could have one, it'd be the ability to give words of comfort to people who've lost a loved one - words that would instantly ease all their pain.

Problem is - that power doesn't exist and it never will. Because if it did, I really could've used it last week - twice.

On Thursday, an overflow crowd of family and friends attended ACelebration of Life for Emily Hodgson, a 2005 GBHS grad who passed away June 28 from complications from a brain aneurysm she suffered two and a half weeks before.

Thinking I could get a good seat at the service if I got there 30 minutes early, I was lucky enough to get a spot in the parking lot of Good Shepherd Lutheran Church.

As a sports writer, I knew Emily from her three years as a member of the Lady Dolphin softball team, as well as from the Breeze Cinemas.

But to her former classmates and friends, she meant so much more.

"Obviously, Emily touched a lot of lives," said Krista Schroth, who spoke to the gathering at Thursday's service.

A webpage set up for Emily on Facebook that was originally set up to 'pray for Emily' has now become a 'remember Emily' page. Among the postings there:

'God heard our prayers but I guess the heavens needed her more than we did!'

'You will be missed by all who had the privledge (sic) of knowing you and being around you. You will always be our prom queen..class of '05'

As Rev. Rory Hermann, pastor of Good Shepherd, spoke to the gathering, one statement he made wouldn't leave me - 'it's okay to question.'

As much as we're not supposed to question what God's grand plan is for each of us, I can't help wonder why he'd take someone at such a young age - someone's only daughter on top of that.

My mother then relayed to me a story her brother in law (my uncle) had heard while in college. I'm paraphrasing, but the professor told him 'if you're picking a bouquet of flowers, would you want to pick the ugliest ones or the prettiest flowers for your bouquet?'

They didn't come any prettier than Emily - a wonderful human being that'll be missed by many.

Not an ordinary Joe

As I sat at the service, I looked to my left - about five or six 'kids' that I knew. To my right - another five or six. Behind me - well, you guessed it.

Many of what I can say is the greatest group of young men and women I've ever had the privilege of knowing lined all corners of the church to pay their respects. And then, the thought hit me - I wouldn't have known any of them if it wasn't for Joe DeAngelis.

I've known Joe for more than 15 years - basically, my entire journalistic career. I had started working at The Corsair, PJC's student newspaper in Nov. 1991 and he came on board as an editor two months later.

We were both part of PJC's first ever General Excellence award winners in 1992 and 1993, having both traveled with the Pirates' basketball team to Hutchinson, Kan. when they won the national championship in 1993.

About a year later, we teamed up to make what I can proudly say was an awesome sports staff at the Santa Rosa Sun. In 2000, he pulled me away from a job I had been at for four years to join him at The Mississippi Press, my first 'daily' job.

Two years after that, while working for the Pensacola Pelicans, Joe told me about this new weekly paper in Gulf Breeze and how they needed a sports writer. Well, you know the rest of the story.

Joe died two weeks ago from a massive heart attack - he was only 35 (same age as me).

So as you keep Larry, Nan and Miles in your prayers, please remember the DeAngelis and Craig families as well. We wouldn't have met without him.