Good friends come from extraordinary people

These couple days have made me realize something important. The people that mean so much to me in my life have also come from some extraordinary people. K has been a very important part of my life these last 5 years and I have been very grateful for it. She has always been there for me and always welcomed me into her life and friends. Her father left us this Friday and was laid to his final rest yesterday. He was a fantastic man and will be missed by so many people. My heart goes to his family. I know almost all of them. You could always count on seeing K’s mother and father at parties. A couple years ago K even played a game of beer pong with her dad. It was a site to see. They did well too! My particular memory of both K’s parents was when we gathered for Alexis’ birthday down in Point Pleasant. Her mom and I drank a bottle of the neighbors home made wine and teased Christine relentlessly. Christine had told us that there were no sharks on the coast of the Jersey shore because there was a monitored fence that had a motion detector to move when boats came over it. Mrs. F and I looked as her and then looked at each other and snickered. Mrs. F and I could not stop teasing her. Mr. F wanted very badly to go fishing with Alexis and she didn’t want to go, so I spent a while trying to convince her that it would be fun and she should go. His eyes lit up when he had thought that she actually might decide to come with. She didn’t but still was amazing that he would be so happy to spend sometime with his granddaughter. That light is there in the eyes of his children and this good man leaves behind an extremely loving and caring family. I have the pleaser to call them my friends.

To the family of Gerald Flammer (1943-2008)

The sorrow of the faithful
is not that of permanent loss,
but the tender sense of sadness
that comes in saying good-bye for now
to someone we love.
May today's sorrow give way
to the peace and
comfort of God's love.