Our friend, Alex Trebek

When I was a kid, my mom, my grandmother and I had a weekly tradition. On Fridays, my grandmother would come over for a visit and we would all sit and watch Jeopardy.

I was just a kid, and I never knew the answers, but my mom did and I always thought she was so smart. I looked forward to those Fridays, in front of the TV, watching Alex’s Jeopardy with the comfort of my mother and grandmother.

My grandmother died, and my mom and I continued the tradition, for a while- watching when we could. We’d catch episodes here and there, and I eventually started knowing some answers, myself.

After my mom died in 2014, I found Jeopardy again, after having not watched for years. Alex was a part of the family, after all, and you need family during hard times.

When he announced his cancer diagnosis, my heart broke. I was as sad as if a close friend had shared such news. I rooted for him during his treatment and my heart ached when he described the pain he was in and how happy he was with the life he had lived.

I’ve been in some sort of denial since Alex died. After all, he was still on TV every night. His final Jeopardy episode hit me like a ton of bricks: that chapter is closed. Our old friend Alex has gone on to whatever comes after this.