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A Personal, Heartfelt Thank You

It's been a rough week. I don’t often show my emotions, but lately they’ve been harder to hide.

I’ve lost two close friends in the past week: Georgia Thompson and Yanka Rupkina.

It was through music that I came to know them both. Music really does bring the world together.

Georgia was married to my rockabilly buddy, Hayden Thompson. We lost him at the end of 2025, and Georgia joined him recently. They were wonderful people, both of them. They shared a sense of humor I always admired - as odd as my own - and being around them was always a joy.

Yanka - скъпи, скъпи мой приятелю - was truly a gift in my life. I had been listening to her for decades without even realizing it. We were friends for months before I finally figured it out. We can blame my less-than-adequate language skills for that. Yanka thought it was hilarious when I finally made the connection.

From the moment she told our mutual friend - the conduit of our friendship - “Tell that BOY to contact me!” a true friendship was born.

She often reminded me that “good people always find each other,” a compliment I will forever cherish.

For a few years, we chatted at least once a week - almost always on Sundays. Often, we talked three or four times per week. Our conversations weren’t limited to music. We discussed art, culture, health and medicine, and even our own experiences with the afterlife. We had our private jokes, and she never held back her opinions - at least not with me. She also knew when diplomacy was needed.

I spent much of today rereading old messages. If there’s a benefit to the digital world, it’s the ability to hold onto these memories. Texts, chats, videos, and photos - they all helped ease the day.

Which brings me to this bit of scribbling.

Many friends reached out today. I was, unashamedly, a bit overwhelmed. So many people - even those who never knew Yanka - mentioned how easy it was to see how much моя СОЯР meant to me. Yes, I was saddened by the news. But I also had to remind myself to be grateful for the friendship Yanka and I shared. I must also be grateful for the friendships I have with so many others.

We live in a messy time. But many of us still share the important things - humor, music, art, stories. It’s probably fair to say we need more of those things and less self-pity and selfish opinions. (We’ll just call that my own selfish opinion.)

Thank you to everyone who reached out and reminded me of what a lucky SOB I am. Truly, it means more than I can ever fully express.

Be good to each other. If, for whatever reason, you can’t do that - at least be civil. We all share more in common than we sometimes realize.

I was joking with my wife earlier. I asked if she ever thought she’d receive so many questions, comments, and well-wishes from global celebrities and legends. To her, these people aren’t celebrities - they’re just my... no, our friends.

To Hayden and Georgia, she was my “little woman.”

To Yanka, she was always my “beautiful wife.”

It’s good to spend your life with someone who keeps you grounded.

It makes gratitude easier. - MM

Here's a wonderful video of Yanka from 1961

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