A Blast from My Past

A couple of weeks ago I got an out of the blue communication from a buddy from my days at SJU.  It read as follows:

YDP,

Hope this email finds you doing well.  I found this photo when I was looking for something for my daughter this morning.   It made me smile as I look at each of those faces and the great memories, reminds me to be thankful for those incredible friendships found at SJU.

I have been thinking about “The Boys” a lot this week as my daughter Brittney, who will be a senior at the U of M, called me in tears recently as she found out a very close friend had been killed while travelling overseas.  We experienced that too many times while in our 20’s, the loss of someone close and all the questions of why, why, why? 

Your smile in this photo is what prompted me to share this today; it made me smile and then laugh and then think about TP.

I have enjoyed reading your posts on Linkedin over the years so today is my turn to share something with you.

Have a great day,


Cheers

TP is the guy on the far right, next to me.  After college, he joined the Marines, and near the end of a 9-mile speed march he collapsed and died.  He was one of the toughest guys I ever met in my life on the football field, and as an absolute teddy bear off it.  

I replied to my buddy:

Thanks for the generosity of your note - it totally made my day.  

The photo is from my ill-fated trip to Powder Ridge for tubing.  Given I'm still smiling in the photo, this is before me later blowing out my shoulder.  When we got back later I called my mom, from Sal's, as my shoulder hurt more than a bastard and I needed to figure out what I should do about it.  I literally passed out talking to her due to the pain, and some chick grabbed the phone and just starting making conversation with my mom while I lay unconscious on the floor.  Mom still talks about it...

That picture sure takes me back to a great day.  It was nice to see Tony again via the photo, as well as Cossie and Strike both looking like the kids we were.

Thanks again for taking the time to share.  Indeed. we've had our losses, but we also have far more incredible memories to offset them.  Thanks again for taking the time to share one with me.

YDP

We can't know God's plan for any of us, and while there have been some that He's taken from us far, far too soon, we have to be thankful what those people meant to us, and how our lives are richer because of our times with them.