Happy Birthday, Jerry....

Happy Birthday IJerry!

I know that you’re not here to celebrate with your family, and I’m over here in France again, and can’t be with the family, but today is the 69th year you would have been here.

I miss you.  Does that sum it up?  Not by a long shot.  I am still mourning your departure on that horrible day in September.  Oh Jerry, how I miss your friendship

and our ability to pick up the conversation from the day before without missing a beat.  Your humor, your work ethic, your focus upon others all the time, you passion for 

family, the camp, hunting——and Jesus.  And of course, you were fearless of saying what needed to be said!

There will never be another friend like you in my life, but I know you’re where you were ready to be—we talked about it each week.  We were both homesick—but you 

got to go home first.

What I would give for one more work-out……one more espresso in Stone Gables…..one more chance to call you for support.  I’ve actually dialed your number and few times, only

to realize that it’s “too late”. 

I’m trying to help Sally and your kids when I can—and Ross just helped me yesterday move a monster piano out of your house to the camp! We needed you!  The deer are more 

common than ever, but we’ve decided to let them take over the camp unless your family hunts up here. You’d be proud of them.

They’re having some sort of celebration for you at your grave today; I was invited, but it would have been hard for me to be there, to be honest.  Sally suffers the most—and when

she hurts, everyone is hurting as well.  I pray for her daily—she’s strong and determined, but boy oh boy, how she misses you.  We both have a hard time talking to each other about you without having a box of kleenexes beside us.

Today you will be on my mind all day—I know it. I wish you were here today—we’d have a good time in France.

If you could offer a prayer for me, it would be simple:  help me to be the friend to Greg, Tommy and Tyler, that you were to me…..

Warmly,

Dean