09.13 Smoking Monkey Pizza

A Friday night gathering that held special significance. By a twist of fate, we ended up at this location. Recently, our family lost a founding member, Dave. Although Dave and his wife Wendy hadn’t been able to attend gatherings in recent years, they were always there in spirit, battling bravely. At his service, friends and family shared stories about Dave’s life before Parkinson’s and his journey through the challenges and victories that followed. One particularly touching story was about a pizza restaurant they once owned, named Smoking Monkey Pizza, memories told from a dear friend. A few weeks later, I happened to find this restaurant in Renton, on my way to our last social dinner. It was as if Dave was guiding me there. I reached out to Wendy and scheduled a visit.

Thirteen of us came together to reconnect with both old and new friends. Wendy told us the story of life as a small business owner and how the placed had changed in 10 years since she had been there. Dustin gave an impromptu demonstration of Parkinson’s products he uses to charge his DBS battery and 2 styles of canes that help with freezing.  We spent a wonderful evening chatting, laughing, and supporting one another. It was a meaningful way to create new memories and honor Dave’s legacy.