Taye Nakamura-Koyama

The jewler took a gun to my ears last week. I hated when people would tell me it's only a pinch and then they would pinch my ears. I knew they were lying because I remember being in Claires with the toughest person I knew and the amount of pressure she applied to my hand when her ears were pierced. I miss Taye. 

Well I suppose it's neither here, nor there, but I worked in the garden today; trimming bushes, and I found your lost yellow lacross ball!  It made me smile, and made me sad.  I remember I got upset that you were practicing your lacross passes against the metal garage door, because it left five dents in the metal, which were pretty obvious.  I'm sorry I got upset.  Maybe they have good lacross boards in heaven.  I read this book that had this line that read: "Everyone has to die, but love will always endure."  I hope you know how much we love you, and it will endure forever.  We miss you.  Please be happy.

Dear Taye,
  How nice for Sue to write you, she held your Baby Shower before you were born in Ohio, and was one of the first people to ever meet you when you were hours old.  We worked together at the Chagrin Valley Times, I think they thought I was going to have you right there in the news room, but I loved the other reporters I worked with, I wanted to stay till the last week.  Editor Dave Lange used to worry about me wobbling up and down the stairs to tne news room.
   Did you know, you also became an item in the newspaper on your birth.  Reporter Barb Christian, who wrote a column called "Windows on Main Stree" added a graph for you:
   The Buck Stops Here--as readers of the Times know, reporter Penny Nakamura is our resident expert on all things dealing with religion, senior citizens, and health. (These were my beats at the newspaper.)
   Penny is also an aficiondo of all things coffee, she's from the Northwest, and was  therefore an avid follower of the local STARBUCKS controversy.
   "So what's happening with Starbucks?" she would ask each week during the height of the last debate over the coffeehouse and parking problems.
   Once Starbucks was approved, Penny's greetings changed to, "So when's the Starbucks going to open?"
   That said, it should be noted that Starbucks opened on schedule, but Penny was not the first customer through the door, she gave birth that day at University Hospitals at the same hour STarbucks was opening its first STarbucks in Chagrin Falls.
   Somehow that seems altogether fitting.
   At this writing, Penny and husband Hal Koyama did know what to call their new little girl, but we are sure our suggestion to name her "Star" will not being taken seriously.
  By the way, Penny and Hal's baby joins her brother Weston, and sister Kiyoko at their Walnut Street home.

My dearest friend Penny, I just opened my mail to hear this news of Taye's passing, and I am without words and I feel so far away from you. When I opened the envelope, I saw Taye's beautiful picture and my first thought was how grown up she was! After I read it all, my next thought was that I count myself among the few honored individuals to have held her in my arms in her first days of life. I will never forget driving to the hospital to see you and her and the smile on your face was a mile wide. Anthony and I sat and stared with marvel at her beauty and I hoped that one day I would share that joy that I saw in your eyes to give birth and to bring life into this world. Although we have lived far away for so long, you and Hal and the kids are etched permanently in my heart and today, that heart is breaking for you my friend. I will share with the paper this news and please know that Taye will be held up in our prayers and we will never forget her or you and your family.
I also recall you sharing with me Taye's love of animals and I remember thinking that was so wonderful. I so wish she could have met our dogs past and present and that you lived just around the corner in Chagrin Falls.
Tonight, I will drive by your house and say a prayer there in honor of you all.
My dearest Penny, please know that I am here for anything. And yes, I am certain that Anthony greeted her with open arms.
I love you all,
Sue

Just this week, the Nordic skiers were training and going past our house, and I saw the man/coach who spoke at Taye's service, he was encouraging them to go up that hill.  I started to cry--why wasn't she there with them?  When she was over here, she told me she bikes past our house all the time.  I told her the next time, she should veer her bike down the driveway and come see us.  I told her we always have loads of Popsicles in our garage, and whenever she wanted them to just help herself.  She thought that was funny and told me, she might come and eat a few!