Memorial Day tributes remind us life goes on

In many ways, you might say last week was reminiscent of Charles Dickens' "Tale of Two Cities." Yet, in the end, I'll remember it for the best of times. ˆ­

I recall my mother reminding my two younger brothers and me when we were children that you have to accept misfortune with the joys of life.

"You have a choice every morning how to face the day," she'd say if we awakened with a sour puss, chiding us into a sunnier disposition.

That choice prevailed many times last week, starting on Memorial Day as I watched the parade, overwhelmed by the respect and patriotism that abounds in our town.

Even amid headlines reflecting untimely and incomprehensible losses, surprising challenges and devastating destruction, it's worth remembering a friendly wave and a smile can make a difference.

Life goes on - especially embedded among vivid reflections of the past as we accept the future with and without people who have been important in our lives.

Key connections

In this never-time-for-a-dull-moment city, after the Memorial Day Parade, I ran into self-professed "Trolley Chick" Annette Kennedy who said to expect a news release.

"Naperville resident Bev Eigenberg's son David Eigenberg is the actor that plays Steve, married to Miranda, in the new 'Sex and the City' movie that premieres Friday," Kennedy e-mailed last Tuesday.

Kennedy went on with details about picking up Bev's friends in the Naperville Trolley for a pre-party and ending up at Showplace 16 for the 7 p.m. show.

I flashed back to Monday, cheering with the crowd for our local firefighters as they wrapped up the end of the parade. I remembered how I'd come to know David Eigenberg just after the atrocious attacks of Sept. 11 when, as a New York City resident, he helped initiate fundraising events to benefit the Red Hook Firehouse in Brooklyn that were promoted in the Daily Herald.

Located just across the Brooklyn Bridge from the World Trade Center, the Red Hook Engine 202 and Ladder 101 companies were among the first responders on Sept. 11. All seven men of Ladder 101 were killed.

We don't have HBO, so back then I was unfamiliar with "Sex and the City" and David's character, but I had lived in Manhattan for 12 years.

I knew David's mother casually and before I headed to New York City for an annual reunion party in December 2001, Bev put me in touch with her kindhearted son who introduced me to his friend and New York firefighter Al Nocella. Al arranged for my visit to the Red Hook Firehouse.

Even more than Memorial Day, I'll never forget it.

At any rate, when the cleaned-up version of "Sex and the City" began running on cable, I watched. I figured I pretty much knew what the movie plot would be.

On Friday, I passed up the trolley ride, opting instead to meet the group at the theater. Unable to find them in the dark, I still watched David become a movie star.

To my surprise, the movie was original, funny, heartbreaking and touching - although the beautiful clothes and shoes were not the styles of practical New Yorker women I know.

And while David performed well, his character disappointed me to tears.

I admit I had a tough time separating the actor from the person I've come to know since Sept. 11.

Good ending

In addition, my family from Muncie, Ind., arrived in Naperville on Saturday to attend my niece's high school graduation celebration in Glen Ellyn on Sunday.

Saturday evening, we headed to downtown Naperville for dinner, where we found the sidewalks bustling with activity.

"Doesn't this remind you of Muncie (1948) when we first moved there?" my mother asked my dad. "Remember when all the young folks from the farms came into town to meet everybody on warm Saturday nights?"

We strolled over to the Riverwalk where I explained the reconstruction project in progress, using the architectural renderings hanging on the fence.

We crossed the Moser Covered Bridge and ended up at the Sept. 11 Memorial, where dozens of passers-by were peacefully paying their respects.

Nearly speechless, my sister-in-law said, "I can see why you love this city so much."

Stephanie Penick writes about Naperville each week in Neighbor. Contact her at spennydh@aol.com.