If he would have been my brother, we would have fought like brothers do and I would have competed against him; instead, we ran the race together, I competed with him and he pushed me to be more.
If he would have just been another friend, he might not have taken me into his home when I needed him most; instead, I watched him practice his firm patience and unconditional love first hand and I learned the meaning of grace.
The word MENTOR is too cold to describe him although he taught me volumes, his laughter warmed my heart.
The word COMPADRE' is too aloof to describe him although we shared great adventures, he was steady and my rock.
The perfect word to describe him lies somewhere between ANCHOR and EXAMPLE; between GUIDE and HERO. And although I can't seem to find the right word to describe who he was or what he meant to me......
That word, that meaning, that description whatever it may be, also lies on the tips of the tongues of those who were loved by this great man like I was.
