02/29/2024
"Say what you want to say."
This will be the first of I'm not sure how many posts related to the passing of my US Boomerang Team teammate and friend Dennis Joyce this past weekend from Liver Cancer. When I heard Dennis was on his deathbed on Saturday, my wife told me, "Get in your car and go. Go now." Seven hours later I pulled into the hospital parking lot in Knoxville, TN and went upstairs.
In 17 hours "Juice" would leave us for far better environs but we didn't know that at the time. He heard me come in and called me by name. His first comment was a humorous reference and outrageous compliment to 45 years of competition together. "My toughest competition", he said. I laughed and said I could never compete with him in good looks or backwards boomerang throwing. He smiled and AGREED and then said, "Say what you want to say."
"I love you man!" "I love you too."
In the days that have passed since, that advice, that admonition, that command, "Say what you want to say," has really impressed me in it's wisdom, it's importance and it's timeliness.
We don't know the future. We don't know when our time will come. But we DO KNOW NOW who we love, who has influenced us, who we need to forgive. We KNOW who is important to us. We KNOW who needs a hug. We KNOW who needs help kicking that habit, getting out of that toxic relationship. We KNOW who needs us to throw ourselves in front of the speeding train to take the hit they cannot.
We need to express our love and respect and fond memories of those who mean the most to us NOW and ongoing for the next 1, 5, 10, 35 years. We don't want to wait until, as with Dennis, that was all we had time for.
Dennis' last request of me was to say what was important. Cut to the chase. Say what you need to say to me.
Thank you, Juice. I love you, man! See you on the boomerang fields of gold, brother!