 If we're lucky, a few people will touch our lives in such a way as to make us better than we were before we met them. Such was the case with my high school sweetheart, John. A gifted athlete in both football and basketball, John was known to Barron Collier High School in Naples, Florida as #42, but to me he was always #1. As in my #1 favorite guy. That's because John was intelligent, fun-loving and sensitive. When I say sensitive, I mean that he loved without abandon. As young as we were, ours was a connection which, to both of us, felt timeless. He had a generous soul. Both of us loved people. We loved throwing parties and going to them. We loved excelling in the areas that each of us did best in. And no matter what, we always cheered each other on. We truly cherished each other. We did so in good times and when the chips were way, way down. Some of my favorite memories include our days as Donner and Blitzen during our junior year of high school. The two of us were known to hang out with our friends at a place in Naples known as Horseshoe, where I'll never forget the two of us running away from the cops while carrying a keg! Or in school, the two of us passing notes back and forth in English class, him carrying my books in the hallway or the moment when he gave me his class ring. There's another moment that stands out. It occurred when a friend of ours "saw a bear" after drinking some beer. To our astonishment, that very same friend went on to climb a tree. I'm pretty sure John and I laughed for a half an hour straight that night. Even so, as is often the case, life after high school took John and I in different directions. Still, I'll forever cherish the friendship we shared as adults - this, even though we only communicated by way of phone. It was during these conversations that I always made a point to wish John and his family every blessing and happiness. You see, I was keenly aware that he was battling a darkness, one that was proving difficult for him to overcome. In truth, it was difficult for those closest to him to deal with as well. Nevertheless, I'm choosing to remember John as he was back in the day. There was just something about him. His charm and charisma. His infectious smile and sparkly blue eyes. His sensitivity and sense of humor. Simply stated, nobody did it better than he did. John, I love and miss you dearly, but if I know one thing for sure it's that you're in a better place now. I'm sending ((hugs)) to you up in heaven and love and light to Shellie, your kids, your brother and parents and your entire family. This is a tragic and sorrowful time for a great number of people, but at least I'm able to take solace in knowing that you're finally at peace. So rather than say good bye or bid you farewell, I'm simply going to say here's to you, Blitzen. Until we meet again... Love and friendship always, Donner P.S. Being the sappy sweethearts that we were, John and I had some favorite songs: For Your Eyes Only by Sheena Easton and It Might Be You by Stephen Bishop. Oh, and Nobody Does it Better by Carly Simon. Like I said, we were really, really sappy. : ) ABOUT THE AUTHOR  D. M. Atwood is an American writer of suspenseful paranormal and science fiction as well as non-fiction. She draws upon her B.A. in psychology to develop flawed and complex characters while her background as a nanotechnology start-up owner serves as the foundation for her sci-fi’s exciting, futuristic technologies. In addition, as a trained massage therapist and alien/UFO experiencer, she is comfortable exploring some of the more esoteric aspects of the human condition. D. M. Atwood currently resides in Arizona. CONNECT WITH THE AUTHOR: Website Categories All
0 Comments
|
About My Encounters
|
RSS Feed