Knowing that Denise's birthday is coming up, I thought it would be a good time to share this.

About a year ago, my wife, Dina- seven months pregnant at the time- and I threw a party that we called End of DINK (Double Income, No Kids), which was actually Dina's baby shower.
Happily for us, Denise was able to attend. We had a really great time. When we got home and opened gifts, Denise's was my favorite: a New York Mets outfit for a nine-month old, just in time for the next baseball season. It reminded me of just how sensitive Denise could be to her friends' interests and, at least in my case, obsessions.

The thing is, Denise had little or no interest whatsoever in baseball. As our colleague Kevin and I could spend half the day standing in front of her office dissecting the previous night's game, proposing trades, and discussing off-season deals that the Mets should make so as not to disappoint us yet again, Denise would dutifully stand by, looking politely interested, occasionally contributing an "uh-huh" so as not to be rude.

I'm sure Denise wondered in amusement just how we could spend so much time going over the minutae of a sports team, yet she never walked away from the conversation, put it down, or otherwise teased us about it. Denise just did what Denise always did: she quietly took it in, and thought of a way to use it as a way to do something nice.

I couldn't wait until our son, Simon, was big enough to wear this outfit. I look for any opportunity to put him in it. I love to see him wearing it, not because of my fanatic devotion to the Mets, but because it reminds me of Denise, and what a thoughtful friend she was.
Attached are two pictures - one from the party on June 28, 2008, and one of Simon is his Mets gear, compliments of his Aunt Denise.