I can’t believe it’s been 5 years. Since I got the email from a friend asking if I knew where John was. Since I got that nagging feeling in the back of my gut that something was wrong.
Later that day I received another email and the nagging feeling turned into pain. Anger. Sadness. Grief.
John was dead. He was swept away and buried 4 feet under by an avalanche while, ironically enough, taking an avalanche safety course.
He was one of my closest friends, a strong Christian brother and one of my earliest mentors, continually challenging me to grow and mature in my faith.
It would be a lie to say that time has healed all the pain, but I look forward to the day when we will meet again.
Related:
Dear John
Atalaya SAR’s Memorial page