A Loss

The past few months have been a difficult time for me; my very best friend first had a two heart attacks followed by pneumonia, then was given less then three months to live. Yes, difficult for me as death was something he didn’t fear but had been eagerly seeing since the death of his wife.1

Monday night he got his wish --- and I lost so much it causes pain in my core yet how I wish each and every one of you could experience a friend this close. 2

What is a very best friend? I’ve struggled to explain this relationship without boring people and so far not been a success, but let’s say almost everyone has a number of friends, and then there are those called “good” friends, the people you might entrust with the secret of having committed a crime. (In this category comes (and should) your spouse or significant other.) A very best friend know more than if you committed a crime; if you might have killed someone. They know where the body is buried, and would never tell, not to even their spouse. 3

This friendship started with our being neighbors; fathers rearing children and having backyard BBQs, and lasted for over thirty eight years, longer then a lot of people have even been alive. It was a special bond based on respect as well as trust but founded in something unique; you will know it when you find it so don’t pass up the chance to have that one thing in life, 4

A very good friend5

Jim6