Dear Dewey,
I want to thank you for making me laugh when no one
else could. That night, when you came with Jim and I to
visit my Mother in the hospitol, you were the
reason I didn't cry. Do you remember? It probably wasn't
a big deal to you, so you might have forgotten. It was
important to me, and I want to share it with you again,
before it's too late:
We stopped at Sam's Club before going to the
hospitol, maybe to pick up supplies for the garage - but
definitely to get some food and drink for the house. It
was all loaded in the back of Jim's truck, and there was
a case of Arizona Iced Tea sitting closest to the
tailgate. Do you remember this? After leaving the
hospitol, the cold wind was the only thing keeping my
tears from escaping their prison in under my eyelid -
but that barrier was ready to fail. I can't remember
every crying in front of Jim (or you for that matter) and
I really didn't want to. It's something I usually did in
private. Yet, what you said made everything so much
better.
The three of us were at the tailgate now, and
Jim opened it up, revealing the pack of iced tea.
"Hey Dewey, you want an iced tea?" said Jim.
You replied "No, but I could sure go for an iced pee!"
My tears almost burst out of their emotional
well, and, yet, they were overcome by the laughter I
began to hear coming from my own mouth.
You saved me that night, Dewey, and I want to thank
you. I have wanted to thank you for some time now, but
have been putting it off for one reason or another. You
always made me smile.
Sincerely,
Francis Frisina (Jim's stepson)
Yes, Dewey, this is the letter I planned to give you, but you went and died a week too early.
Or I was just a week too late.
I am sorry. And thank you again, for being a wonderful person.