For Jim

In life, most of us are blessed to have friends, people who are there to support us, who share common interests, who just "get" who we are, and take us "as is."

Mr. Tide and I have friends like this, and while some live right next door to us, others are far away.  One of our far away friends is a man we call Papa Jim.  In his profession as a police officer I'm sure he's quite intimidating, heck, I wouldn't want to get on his wrong side, but we know the other side of Jim.  The guy who gushes over his wife, kids, and grandkids...they are the light of his life he is proud beyond belief.  

He is the kind of man who always has something nice to say, can make you laugh, and even when he has his own troubles, he's always more worried about someone else's issues.  And though his day job calls for him to be rough and tough, he is the kind of person who reads this blog.  He doesn't read it because he likes house'y stuff, flowers, or pretty things, but because I write it, and because I talk about my family on here, so he can keep up with our day to day happenings.

Jim is, by any definition, the kind of person you hope to call friend.  Yesterday Papa Jim underwent major surgery for cancer.  He's walked this path before, and battled back like nobodies business, so I have no doubt he will meet this head on yet again and kick it in the butt.

The surgery didn't go as smoothly as hoped, and he has a slightly steeper hill to climb until he's back to feeling like himself again.  And we, meaning all of us who are lucky to know this great man, will be right behind him...providing him with the kind of strength and support that friends give to one another at times like this.

So to you Jim, we (and I mean the whole clan) say thank you!  Thanks for being that role model friend that we all aspire to be.  Thank you for loving your family with all of your heart and still spreading that love around to those of us who are honored to call you friend.  Get Well Soon!!!