We Love You Uncle Ed

For the most part we have two groups of friends from college — her friends and his friends — which is sort of strange because we spent almost all of college as a couple and came to know almost all of said friends together. I guess what I really should have said is that we have sorority friends and fraternity friends. Yup, Mama and Papa were both greek in college. Anyway, in the last year there has been an exodus of sorts as almost all of our fraternity friends have moved away. First, one couple — who can actually be called fraternity AND sorority friends since they boast one member of each — moved hours away. Then another moved all the way to the other coast. And now, Ed is moving to the western desert. And boy are we sad.

Twelve years ago Ed pledged Stefan’s fraternity and I knew very early on that he was a man we wanted as a friend. That sounds so weird but it’s true. I remember — before the pledges were assigned big brothers — telling Stefan that we needed to take Ed out to dinner and him saying We don’t do stuff like that [in fraternities] and my hasty reply Well, do you want him as your little brother or not? I was working on the theory that if we spent time with Ed, he and Stefan would form a mutual attachment and weeks later Success!! Ed became Stefan’s little brother.

Of course, the assignment probably had very little to do with my manipulation. My sorority employs a quote that ends with “…our being friends was part of God’s plan” and I’m certain that with Ed this is true. And regardless of the big/little brother thing we’ve been there for each other through a lot. He was the best man at our wedding and the only guy — besides my Dad — who came to visit me in the hospital when each of our kids were born. And while he’s been there for us through a lot of joy Ed, himself, has had a lot of heartache over the last twelve years. I hope he knows that we’ve been there for him too. I know we could have shown it better but sometimes we just didn’t know what we should do.

But hopefully, those days are behind, and I think this move for Ed is a lot about starting anew. And we’re super happy for him but man, are we going to miss him. Katie is already asking when we can go on the airplane to see Uncle Ed and I find myself wondering the same thing. We had him over for dinner last week to say goodbye and while Katie and I stood in the driveway waving we talked about how much we were going to miss him and how much we love him too.

So Ed, we hope you find much happiness out there in the desert, and a fresh start. But we’re also hoping you come back real soon because we’re not sure what we’re going to do without you.