Afterimage

A friend of mine passed away last week. He was speaking at a town hall event, along with other mayors from our local communities, when he underwent a medical emergency. Attempts to revive him were unsuccessful. He was 47 and leaves behind a wife, five children, and one grandchild.

Rick and I had a number of common interests, including a shared common faith, an enjoyment of books, a love of sports (he was an Angels and Bills fan), and a love for cardboard. In fact, the last text we exchanged was about a card show in the neighboring town to my home, the town he had just taken office as mayor only two weeks early. I had asked him if he was attending, joking that he had better, since he was now the face of the city. The day of the show I woke up sick and missed out. I wish I could have seen him one last time before his untimely death.

He was a servant, and served our community with his entire being. First as a pastor, then as the executive director of a pregnancy crisis center; as a city council member; as chief of staff for the mayor; county clerk; and finally, mayor of the place of my birth, Nampa, Idaho.

And though he may be gone, I have the memories of a number of holidays our families spent together, of the vacation our families took to Seattle for the Mariners and Braves series, of meeting up at card shows, and trading cards at the dining room table. Even those small things, like a simple card he would give for my collection, have much more meaning now. But that was Rick. He was a giver. 

Suddenly, you were gone

From all the lives you left your mark upon

I remember

How we talked and drank into the misty dawn

I hear the voices

We ran by the water on the wet summer lawn

I see the footprints

I remember

I feel the way you would

I feel the way you would

I feel, I feel the way you would

Tried to believe but you know it's no good

This is something that just can't be understood

I remember

The shouts of joy, skiing fast through the woods

I hear the echoes

I learned your love for life

I feel the way that you would

I feel your presence

I remember

I feel the way you would

I feel the way you would

I feel, I feel the way you would

This just can't be understood

I tried to believe but you know it's no good

This is something that just can't be understood

I remember

I feel the way you would

I feel the way you would

I feel, I feel the way you would

This just can't be understood, no

 From Rush's "Afterimage"