I’m writing this article on the week of Thanksgiving and it would have been easy and appropriate for me to write something about gratitude as I have in the past.
I’m also writing this article on the week of my 49th birthday and it would have been just as easy to churn out a list of 49 things that you (or I) could do to improve ourselves as I’ve done in the past.
Instead, I’m writing this article after we’ve lost a close friend of our family and that makes the holidays more challenging.
In fairness, I only know Kevin because of my wife and this loss is significantly more difficult for her because of their friendship.
So, I’m going to try and wrap several sentiments together in the best way I can.
If you have a great friend or great friends in your life, the ones who stick by you through thick and thin, reach out to them, tell them how grateful you are that they are in your life.
Tell them how much you appreciate how they never judge you, how they are there to offer a kind word when needed, and how much you cherish that bond that you share together.
If you know they struggle in their lives with problems you can’t change, be the sounding board they need, remind them that you love them, offer to help in any way that you’re able.
I realize that nothing is more valuable than your health. That could be physical or mental, and it’s usually both.
My heart aches for my wife because Kevin has been a part of our lives for as long as I’ve known her. He was smart, he was funny, he was incredibly talented and he absolutely adored Marissa and Sebastian.
He called me a few years ago because he had questions about my years of addiction, what rehab was like, how I got clean, etc. It’s never an easy conversation to have. Not because I’m not comfortable talking about it but because I know that no one changes until they’re ready and for me, my rock bottom changed everything. I wanted to see Kevin turn his life around too…
I am grateful for all the time we had with him and that my wife had that friendship at times when she needed it most. I know what she gave to their friendship and I know how it was reciprocated.
If I offer you any words of encouragement about ways to improve your life: listen without judgment, love unselfishly, heal your wounds, and laugh often. Life’s too short to do anything less.
To Kevin, thank you for being a such an integral part of our lives. You will dearly be missed and I do hope that you have finally found some peace. Love you, brother.
