One of the Good One's

Dot

Yesterday I was informed that a mentor, family friend, and church member passed away. I spent a good portion of my day thinking about the impact she had made in my life. I thought about the impact she made in everyone’s life she met. She was special.


I knew her as Dot. Dot was an amazing woman. I mean her whole family was but she took things to another level. You see, Dot was my youth leader. She had taken over after our last one had left the church.


Now if you saw Dot, especially as a teenager, it threw you off a bit. You wondered why she’d ever want to work with youth. Yet, the saying that appearances can be deceiving was completely accurate of Dot. Dot was a ball of energy that I still to this day, have no clue where she got it from.


Dot was someone who knew how to have fun. She would join in on activities. She would go to the open gym nights, the overnights, the music festivals, etc. She would do it all. It was incredible. She was able to be one of the last to go to bed and the first to be up. Honestly, it makes you wonder if she slept.


What was most incredible was her ability to love. She loved everyone that she met. It wasn’t fake. It was genuine love. She went out of her way to make you feel it too. It was never uncomfortable as some might think. It was like you belonged. She represented what I believe was Jesus' love for us.


Dot had a saying usually when we did something ridiculous. It was “love of Jesus”. This phrase was also used when she would also gently tap us for making a joke. I think in all things, she was reminding us of the importance of loving Jesus. Even when we were being teenage boys making dumb jokes, she knew we need to redirected to the love of Jesus.


Dot was a huge part of why I am a Christian. In a time I was lost, searching for love and acceptance, she showed me Jesus. Dot was an encouragement. She saw the potential most of us don’t see. Dot invested into quite a few of us. She spent time praying and listening. It didn’t matter what time of the day it was, Dot was there.


The last time I saw Dot, she was able to meet Beka and Owen. She got to see a bit of her prayers for me come to fruition. I remember connecting with her about life and even her now being a grandma. It felt like a day had never passed when talking with Dot.


I am thankful for the time I had with Dot. Yet, I am going to miss her while time passes on this earth. I know, I get to see her one day in glory but I still will miss her. I wish I could have told her the huge impact she made for me, like she did for others. I wish I could thank her for all those prayers and times she gave m

e time to listen to me.

The thing is, she knows. She’s with Jesus and I know He told her “well done, good and faithful servant”. Thank you Dot for showing me Jesus. I’ll look forward to seeing you one day again.

These Are My Friends

Free Hugs

I’ve been thinking a lot about friends from my past. I actually had a dream about seeing them again. I felt joy. I hugged some of my friends and laughed. It was a good feeling. I then woke up and realized it didn’t happen in real life. I admit I was disappointed but it stuck with me.

As much as I don’t miss the days of high school and college, I do miss the people. The experience of school would not be as good if not for the people who I experienced those moments.

I remember in high school, I was in a band. Now this story doesn’t live up to the drugs, sex, and rock n’ roll lifestyle: I was in high school, but it still had a huge impact on me. Our band had been something where it taught me a lot. The best years were near the end of it. I think it’s when we most enjoyed playing music. The writing had a lot more laughter. I mean we fought a bit but overall we laughed more.

We took time to also just goof off outside of writing. I remember one night just riding around on a four wheeler. On another night we just skated on a quarter pipe. It was a time where we had fun. It didn’t need to be serious.

I also remember through playing shows, we’d connect with friends. We’d build a fan base that mostly was our friends that appreciated music. One of the best memories is where a couple of dudes came up on stage with us to dance around and hit drums. It was one of those moments where it gave me a renewed sense of God.

Friendship is about connection. We live life together. The best and worst moments we have, we experienced together. Through that experience, we grow in some way. As created beings, we were never meant to go through life alone. Life was meant to be shared with others.

I find myself living in a bit of nostalgia. It’s like watching Star Wars again or playing Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater. It’s that familiar feeling that brings a sense of comfort. I know that things have changed but the memories still exist. I hope my mind will never lose those memories.

As I look at my life now. It’s different. I have a wife and kids. I’m creating new memories. I get to experience my kids go through the same type of avenues with relationships. I hope that my kids have those life giving moments with friends. I hope they remember the fights and the good times. I also hope that I find those relationships again in my own life.

I’ll admit, as I get older it seems less likely. I like to blame my kids but maybe it’s because I have become so preoccupied by life. I know that I had some great friends who I still keep in contact with but due to distance, it can be hard. It’s not anyone’s fault but rather life happening. We all have responsibilities and I will be the first to say, I am forgetful.

In the end, I am grateful for those memories of friends. I am thankful for my dreams of meeting again. I am hopeful that I get to have moments with friends like this in real life. Covid definitely has affected closeness but I have hope. I look forward to the future. I really hope I get to have those moments of laughter!