Why, oh why?

I heard the news this morning that one of my bosses at Milligan died today, and the cause was a self-inflicted gun shot wound. My heart is heavy and sad. I wonder how things could have been that bad, and yet, there have been moments in my life when I've understood how the pain could really be that deep.

His name was Mike Johnson, and he made us laugh, oh did he make us laugh. When I entered his presence, he would bark, "Enkoff" in his scruffy voice. I rarely saw him without a shirt and tie and even a jacket on, and yet, he was really a hillbilly at heart. He was the director of Admissions and I was one of those "callers of prospective students" (you know, the ones you hang up on or lie to and say the student is not at home). He was so encouraging and fun that he made hard work something we looked forward to rather than a chore. He valued all of us, no matter where we had come from, what we looked like, or who we knew. I learned a lot from Mike about how to treat the people you're leading....to build them up, to encourage their gifts, to be excited about their success, to be sensitive to pain and hurt in their lives, to say you're sorry (and mean it!) when you screw up.

The world is different because of Mike Johnson...I am different because of Mike Johnson. Although I haven't talked to him in over 10 years (except for that we had just become facebook friends!!), part of who I am today is because of his influence in my life.

Oh, that we would notice the pain and hurt in the people around us.

Feeling sad and heavy,

Cousin Lori, are you out there??

Some of you may remember cousin Lori who reads my blog every day and is often disappointed, I am sure, to find that there is nothing new. I am so sad about something. I just now finally made it through the HUGE basket of mail that accumulated while I was gone for five whole weeks..... Please let me digress here and say that if I should happen to die before Tim, would someone please help him open the mail. I am dreadfully afraid that, although our laundry would likely be kept up better and the boys would eat at home more, our mail would NEVER get opened. So, girls, I'm trusting you to help me on this, okay??

Anyway, back to the subject at hand, in the HUGE basket of mail, I found that my Christmas card to cousin Lori and her sweet family was returned!! Have I put the wrong address on it?? Did they move to San Antonio or something?? Cousin Lori, please know that you were not left off the list. I have a picture of our boys that is longing to hang on your refrigerator. I will check the address tomorrow and try to send it again. Just hold on a few more days...it's coming.