Below is a letter I wrote to my dear friend Art. I challenge you to let those who are special to you know how you feel while they are still around. Life has no guarantees! Don’t wait.
August 2015
Dear Art:
As I sit here, more than 50 years of memories are dancing in my head and most make me smile. The smile represents how blessed I was to love you at the deepest level and to admire you for the path in life you chose. The world and so many lives where you have left your mark of a caring and loving man are your legacy. They will go out in the world and find themselves silently echoing your wisdom as I will in my time left. Your voice lives on in those of us who have shared moments with you.
In our friendship, you have always led with your heart and no gift is more precious. Our constant teasing and joking got me through so many difficult times but I relied on your advice to help me see my path clearer. You always represented my family during times when I felt like I had no family. You were present at so many special moments in my life and I will always love you for those.
I find, at this moment, more feelings than words but this one thought has been at the forefront of writing this. I would like to borrow a thought from Lou Gehrig that is relational to you and me. As I sit here at my desk, I consider myself one of the luckiest people on earth for knowing and loving you and Kathy and for being able to call you my friend and my family.
I will not say goodbye because I know I will see you again.
Your friend and brother,
Jim
Jimmy Tuman Blog 