Dear Rick,

Well, you have a weird new kinda birthday coming up in just a few days. I'm wondering how I might like to celebrate it, you know, what to bring to the party, what song I might raise in your honor.

We're being as good to each other around here as we know how, or maybe more so--- for several weeks the place's petty battles seemed to pause. But ya know, it is so weird-- I think a lot of us are wondering WWRD (What would Rick do?) when the silly crap offers to rear its ugly head.

So I was wondering. Can you tell from where you are now that you are still at work in our lives-- even just remembering you-- a lot like some of us have said Jesus does? That we know you are here in our hearts, that there is a power in evoking and invoking your name and your memory... that when we make that choice to wonder what Rick would say or think, it helps us be our better selves (our growing and learning selves, our loving and curious selves).... I know a lot of people will be pretty damn pissed off at me for saying this (I think you're probably laughing your ass off)-- the idea that to introduce people to the idea of a risen, redeeming God, all I really need to do is tell them about the powerful effect your life had on people, and continues to have. How human in every way, yet how well you loved people. Jesus is too wonderful and far away to make much sense to people. But anyone who knew you has a fine example to reflect on. Whatever. Right now I'm just caught up in remembering you, for you, and grateful all over again for having known you a little. (Apparently I "had" as much of you as I could handle at that time. Or maybe it was the same for you, of me.)

Do you know that because you never expected it, your goodness STILL shines so brightly that it can draw us up out of the darkness?

I feel it as a loving, inner BS-deleter. More curious than frustrated, a grinning, entirely loving prod, "Hey! How come yer acting like your full of shit again?" Oh, oops, thanks! Or, "Say you're having a bad day?   I know a great way to learn gratitude for how great your life actually is." Ooops, duh, thanks!

In life you always were a powerful reminder to LIVE. For me, that has only intensified in the short but too-long time since you went on beyond us a little ways. I fall short all the time... but any thought of you gets me right back up and at it.

Thank you, for your life. Thank you for living it so well, so RICKly. Thanks for every choice you made, that made you who you were and are to us.

And no, I will NOT come up there till I can play at least ONE of the instruments you gave me a free PM beginner's lesson for!

~Susan