Goodbye my friend.

I just made it home from a very busy, emotional day. Besides the running around for work, and personal tasks, I went to a funeral service for a friend I used to work with. I know that the term friend gets tossed around too easily these days when people make references to casual acquaintances, but Mike was a friend. He took me under his wing when I first started working down in Peekskill and was always there to help out with answers, or to lighten up the mood with a well placed 'zinger' -sometimes at my expense.

He was a strong believer. He made that clear when I first met him back in 1990. He set an example that I am ready to follow now. Maybe that was one of his many purposes. I know he led at least one person to the Lord, and she went on to numerous countries in Africa spreading the Word. I was conflicted about my faith when I first got off of active duty military service, but Mike was there to be that example I needed to see.

Mike died of cancer. He went home on Christmas Day. His wife told us all today that he said "the only thing I want for Christmas is for the pain to go away."

I heard from several people there at the service that Mike is probably up there, getting things ready for all of us. He's writing our names on the chairs, getting the party hats ready, and warming up his Elvis and John Wayne impersonations.

...maybe he can take some lessons from them. I mean really Mike, that was a pretty lame John Wayne. -Or maybe that was the point. ZING!

You are missed for now, but I'll see you on the other side.