We are gathered here today to celebrate the life of Archibald “Archie” Andrews. Gosh, I still laugh when I think that his name was Archibald. It fits, it really fits.
Oh, I’m sorry, most of you may not remember me, but Archie and I are close friends from when we were kids. We used to hang out all the time and I even hung around with many of you, but it’s been many, many years since I last visited Riverdale for more than a quick trip. Archie and I have kept in touch over the years, we seem to always run into each other in the checkout lanes of the grocery store for some reason, and even though I left our friendship behind he never gave up on me.
That’s who Archie was. A true friend. He even invited me to his wedding, but I didn’t attend. I was happy that he finally made a decision and married the girl of his dreams. It’s something I doubted he would ever be able to do, but he did and she was a perfect fit for him. I just wish I would have been there for him as much as he was there for me. Like I said, he was a true friend.
That was never more evident than in his last act on this Earth. Archie died doing the same thing he did when he was alive. Being a friend. He invited me to the fundraiser for Kevin Keller that night. I don’t really know Senator Keller outside of what has been reported on the news, but if he was a friend of Archie’s then I knew he would be someone I liked. This time, for some reason, this time I knew that I couldn’t let him down. I was going to show up this time.
I arrived in time to see everyone there. So many of you that I remember from my childhood, all of those friendly faces were almost overwhelming. I just stood back in the corner and watched everyone. Took it all in. Jughead owns the Choklit Shop now? Yeah, that makes perfect sense. There’s Betty who I always had such a crush on. I never told her that, but I did. Veronica looked perfect, as always. There was Reggie and Mr. Weatherbee too. I didn’t realize just how much I missed all of you.
It was so much I had to step out for a moment. Just to gather myself and that is when it happened. I didn’t see anything, but I heard a yell. Then I heard the gunshot. The rest is a blur, but I walked in to see my friend, surrounded by those that he loved and that loved him.
It’s hard not to be sad. Tears are natural, but Archie would not want us to cry. He lived his life the only way he knew how. By loving all of us, unconditionally. He taught us all so much. If you are like me, and left a childhood friend behind, I hope you take Archie’s examples to heart. Archie only put people into one category: friend. No other label meant anything to him and he was a better person for it. In fact, we are all better for it.
I miss my friend, but I have many memories to celebrate and I will spend my time celebrating what he meant to me and to put his example to use in my life. We all have a little Archie Andrews inside of us. It’s about time we let him out.
Thank you.
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