Did you know that John Wayne’s real name was Marion Robert Morrison, or that Johnny Cash and Billy Graham were dear friends? We did not know this either until we became friends with Mr. J, who was a John Wayne aficionado and a Johnny Cash fan.
Did you know that the Fort Collins/Loveland airport is home to AIMS Community College Flight School and that about every three minutes the flight school airplanes land and take off? My team and I did not know this either until we began visiting the airport with our good friend Mr. J, who loved all things aircraft.
Did you know that the history of Fort Collins and Loveland is rich in the sugar beet industry and that many prominent families in our area have ancestors who themselves worked in the beet fields? I did not know this either until I visited the Loveland Museum with my good friend Mr. J, who had a Bachelor of Arts Degree in history.
Did you know that you can practice putting on the putting greens at most golf courses for free? We did not know this either until we did just this with our good friend Mr. J — who taught himself how to golf years ago after reading a book written by a golf pro.
You see, it did not matter that Mr. J had changes in the way his brain worked. What mattered is that we got to know him, that we got to enjoy some of his favorite activities with him, and that we got to bring hope, help, and relief to his devoted daughter and son-in-law.
It was a tremendous privilege to know Mr. J, and every person on our care team is better for having spent time with him.
What an honor to be part of helping him finish well, in his own home, with his loving family at his side.
As one of our team members whispered to him in his final days of life, “Fly high, Mr. J.”
We loved being his friend.
With gratitude,
Jill
©Jill Couch 072122
