I went to a BBQ to celebrate the life of my buddy, Dean, today.
Dean was the kind of guy who could be dropped at any party in America – blue state or red state – and everybody would be totally comfortable with him. He just fit it. He was such a charmer –with a twinkle in his eye along with a winning grin and chuckle that promised gentle mischief. He was just so easy to be around.
But, through forces beyond his ability to control, several years ago the sparkle left his eyes; he no longer really laughed. He died much too young, in way too much pain. He lost the ability to really be what he most desperately wanted to be: a loving husband to his wife and a secure and devoted father to his two wonderful daughters. The biggest tragedy is that his descent happened before his daughters were really old enough to know the man he was underneath, and before, his pain and sorrow; the man that we were celebrating today.
All I can say to his daughters is that the Dean that I knew was a very good man bursting with true zest for life. And, he loved you two so much. I hope that the celebration today gave you a sense of how much he was loved and appreciated by everybody who knew him. He was one of a kind, very special and very, very good company.
