We were sad to learn last week of artist Lonny Sisson’s death, because while he hasn’t lived here for many years, he’s still one of us. Like so many who have moved away, his heart always remained here. It made us think, once more, of the many friends we’ve had over the years, and how many are no longer with us. My mother, who lived to be 100, frequently commented in the final 20 or 30 years of her life how it saddened her to be losing so many of her longtime friends at what seemed like a fast pace.

We can all say the same thing, we’re sure. It’s frightening when we think back on how young we were when some folks we’d known for years, many since childhood, began dying. Many of them weren’t very old at all by today’s standards. Your list, like ours, probably includes acquaintances you were used to seeing on a daily basis around town, those you greeted with a big smile, a casual comment such as “Hi, how are you?”; “Beautiful day”; or “Nice to see you.”

We all miss seeing former classmates, a special teacher, neighbors, fellow club members, former co-workers and others no longer with us.

When you thumb through old photo albums, you find that many of the familiar faces are gone. The older you become, the longer the list gets. You find yourself gazing at the photos and recalling the time you spent with some of the individuals who earned a place in your album for one reason or another. Sadly, in our own case, and perhaps yours, some of the special folks in our lives aren’t included in our photo album, but it’s just as easy to recall the time we spent with them.

A neighbor of ours, a summer resident for many years, had a special wall in his cottage with photos of some of the people he had met here who were a part of his life — the postmaster, store owner, real estate broker, and many others. We envied his decision to photograph those he wanted to especially remember — smart move. We can’t begin to count the times we’ve regretted not having taken a photo of some of the very special people in our life. It’s something you don’t usually think to do for some reason, probably because we so often lose friends with no warning.

We’ve all lost folks who were special to us. We can’t see them, talk to them, or even write to them anymore, but they’ll always remain safely tucked away in our hearts and in our bank of memories forever.