true blue

just thought i would share this.

True-Blue Friend
I was reminded today of an old friend. He was one of the best friends I ever had. He was intelligent, had a great sense of humor, was a hard worker, and was a loyal as any friend could ever be. And, he was exceptionally handsome! Real easy on the eyes, I used to say! I loved being seen out in public with him walking close by my side.

He had been called noble. That made me feel good to know that I had at least one friend that could be considered noble! He was though. He never considered himself. Always put the feelings and needs of others first. Truly selfless in nature. He was generous, sometimes to a fault. He was forgiving, he never stayed mad at me for more than a few minutes, not an easy task for most people. He was courageous, willing to defend, and protect on an instant gut instinct. He was the most honorable friend I ever knew. He instantly won the respect of every one he met simply by making eye contact and exchanging a greeting. He had more friends that I would ever have in six lifetimes. He was magnanimous.

Now, I knew this character well enough to know he wasn't perfect. Yes, he had his faults. He could be a bit stubborn at times. It was horrible to watch him eat, crumbs always seemed to collect on the sides of his mouth. He made noises when he drank. Oh my, a flatulence from him would send the room in an uproar and running! He snored, and he had furious, sometimes scary dreams. And, he was the sloppiest kisser you would ever want to know. But with these and any other faults he may have had, he still seemed to be able to laugh about it. His eyes would sparkle when friends teased him about his quirks. He was happy that friends were enjoying a good laugh, even if it was at his expense. He was like that, totally uninhibited and secure with himself.

I learned a lot about friendship and life from my friend. I learned about giving without expecting reward or recognition. I learned about humility, not bragging about past accomplishments. We worked together for a while, and he taught me about giving it everything you got on a job, even if you have to work with people that don't like you. And I learned about loyalty. Sticking with it, through thick or thin. For the years that I knew him, the friendship that he offered me never varied or waned. He was true-blue.

I'll tell you his name now, it was Charlie. Wildwood's Charlie Brown. One thing about Charlie, he didn't know he was a dog. And most people that knew him didn't think he was one either. My Dad would always say , "If only Charlie could talk", and that was true. If only Charlie could talk. The ability to communicate with a spoken language was pretty much the only thing that separated him from humans. Charlie was my first AKC registered dog. He was a Golden Retriever. Nothing too impressive in this bloodline other than the fact that his dad was a champion hunter. His mom, Chelsea, was a lanky golden-red beauty. She was very much loved, and had a knack for children. Charlie inherited many of his parents traits. He was a natural at tracking, and had the keenest instinct for human emotions.

Charlie was my constant companion. Where ever I was, most likely Charlie was too. We shopped together, took strolls together, fished together, watched softball games together, vacationed together, even went to church together. We ate together, napped together, raised a child together and moved a house together. Charlie had a real job for a while, he was a therapy dog. I would drive him to his job at a local nursing home. There he would make his rounds, visiting with the residents. Charlie had an instinct for people. He knew who needed a chat, who needed a cheer, or who just needed to have him sit by their side for a bit of quiet calm. For 12 years he used his natural retrieving instincts to bring a newspaper in from the driveway every morning. He would race down the drive to fetch the paper and then promenade back into the house where a morsel of a snack was waiting for him. It didn't matter what the weather was.I didn't even matter if there wasn't a paper that day, Charlie would scour the neighborhood until he found one to bring home.

He did everything with gusto. He lived his life with gusto and brought dignity to the lives of people who were fortunate enough to know him. I was especially fortunate. He was my true-blue friend. And I, his.