My dear friends.  Today is Wednesday, as you will probably know if I can get this done today, and I am still sitting on my own couch in my own living room, because all of this has been such an incredible mess. 

I just went back and reread what I wrote in my last message to you guys and I’m going to try and basically pick up where I left off. 

A tiny bit of background first.  I think I told you guys that my brother, Ken was sick.  Well, not sick as much as suffering medically.  I won’t go into the issues he had, but suffice to say that he had medical challenges. 

Since I spoke with you last, I have spoken to so many people in Florida.  I truly believe that he told all his friends, “If anything happens to me call my brother in Indiana and here’s his phone number.” because I have gotten call after call from people that, for the most part, I’ve never heard of before.  And each and every one of them said a variation of the same thing to me.  They all said, “Ken was my best friend.”  Then they talked to me on the phone for quite a while and most of them cried. 

Now, don’t get me wrong, I’m NOT complaining.  I’m truly amazed and overjoyed.  Ken obviously touched an awful lot of people.  That’s a wonderful thing.  There were other things going on in his life also, but I’m not going to go into that here.  I’m going to focus on the great things in his life.  So many people loved him. 

And they all called me.

I take that back. 

I’m sure no where NEAR everyone called me.  Which astounds me all the more.  But there were a lot.

One of the ladies, who has been friends with Ken, who Ken told me several times was his best friend and whom he’s known for close to 20 years…let me call her … Ekater … (I’m trying to protect people’s names here if you haven’t already figured that out) has been so incredibly helpful from the start, was pretty sure she knew where all Ken’s important papers and will and DD214 and … you get the idea.  She wasn’t able to find it. 

Plus, on top of all that, legally, there is a legal hierarchy in who can make decisions.  Spouse is first (Ken is divorced) then comes children (he has none) then parents (Mom passed away many years ago, Dad has dementia) then siblings.  Funeral home needs letter from healthcare provider about Dad’s condition and then it falls to my sister and I, neither one having precedence over the other. 

In steps the drama.  And I would NEVER air any of this publicly, so we’ll just let it go at that. 

So, at this point in time, we still don’t have a will because we don’t know if Ken did a new will when him and his wife divorced at the beginning of the year.  We don’t know who is authorized to make decisions as far as arrangements are concerned, but I did find out that whoever signs the paperwork at the funeral home is responsible for payment in FULL prior to anything being done.  (I said, “I know when my wife passed away not quite two years ago, they waited for the life insurance…” they said in the state of Florida they don’t really do that, but they might be able to work something out with a bank and the life insurance beneficiary… but we don’t even know who that IS)  So, I may be taking money out of my retirement fund to pay for this, which will completely mess up my retirement.  But I know that God will take care of me.  [On a somewhat related side note, the way the world is going, the rapture may happen at any moment and all this is a completely moot point!  I keep reminding myself that these are all just earthly things!] 

Now, my plans were to fly down there, stay in his house, drive his car while I was there, no big deal, right?  That’s what I thought.  Well, after some VERY unexpected family drama, and not being able to find the will and other things, …wait, what was I calling her … oh yeah … Ekater pointed out that at this point, we have no idea who owns the house or the car or anything! 

I had bought a ticket to fly out Thursday morning, but with us not knowing anything and now not having a place to live, I’d have to book a room…outside of Disneyworld.  When I started pricing that, even using military discounts and such.  I almost maxed out my credit card before I even got done.  So, with everything up in the air and not being able to do anything once I got down there except sit in place and spend money that I don’t really have, I canceled my flight.

And the dear sweet agent at Allegiant Airlines was so understanding.  She told me that we have two options.  Change to a different date…I said I don’t really know…she said or I give you a voucher that you can use at another time.  I said that one!  So, even if it doesn’t line up that I fly out on Allegiant, I may have to fly on Allegiant another time and she dated it so that I have a whole year to use it.  I think I lost $25 on the deal. 

So, now I’m sitting here, 1,043 miles away trying to help as best I can, while not trying to overstep my bounds and staying in my own lane and keep everyone’s … his true best friend, his former wife (who still loves him very much), all his other best friends, all the people he worked with (I’ll show you that in a minute), what’s left of his family, but most of all and most importantly of all Ken himself …wishes and desires for Ken’s final send off. 

And trust me, my dear, dear friends when I tell you, that it is beating me down inside so badly that I can’t hardly take it.  I have counseled with my Pastor twice over this and he has been wonderful.  I have SO MANY people praying for me.  I can feel their strength.  And I need every bit of it. 

I won’t say this is harder than when Mary passed, because it’s not.  That was way harder emotionally and I didn’t have the same bond with God then that I do now.  This is harder different.  Earthly harder. 

So, okay…let’s move just a little off the dime, shall we? 

OH!  First I HAVE to say, thank you, thank you, thank you to EVERYONE who has sent so many GREAT emails and comments and even a phone call or two.  I am blessed by your friendship, your prayers, your caring, and your love.  Thank you. 

A very special thank you to Joseph P. for the truly, TRULY generous gift you sent.  Brother you made me cry.  I have no words.  (I know…all of you out there are saying to yourself, “yeah, right!”)  But truly, from the bottom of my heart, it will indeed help immensely.  You are solving problems my friend. 

Now, let’s move a tiny bit further off the dime.  One of the people that Ken worked with sent me this … I guess you’d call it an internal memo, maybe … at Disney where Ken worked.  I’m going to redact it a little, again protecting names, but I do want to share it with you.

Thank you sir.  That was from Ken’s supervisor, fellow veteran and good friend.  Notice I didn’t say “best” friend.  I spoke with him a few times and he never said they were best friends.  He told me and several others also mentioned it, that the two of them spent many hours talking and discussing many things, a lot of them military and the state of the military.  But, both being veterans, neither would ever dream of saying the other was the “best” friend unless they truly were.  That’s just the way veterans were.  There will always be a bond, just BECAUSE they are both Vets, but being good friends is very often enough.  Besides, Ken was Air Force and he was Army, so… LOL! 

But there is ALWAYS the brotherhood. 

The next question is do I dare try to throw in some laughter to this…thing that has become an issue in and of itself?   You know what?  Let’s do this:  I truly don’t feel much like laughing, especially after everything I just wrote.  And it seems a bit inappropriate to start adding memes and such to the end of this.  Here shortly I have to go and get ready for my Jail Ministry for tonight and I have to tell those guys that I’m going to be gone for possibly a couple of weeks.  So, I’m going to end this here, send it out and try, TRY mind you, to send out a kind of issue before I head out for Florida.  Unless things go batty crazy fast and I turn around and head right out.  But, if that’s the case I’ll try and let you guys know. 

So, for now, and until we speak again, know that each and everyone of you is loved, is deeply appreciated and may you all be blessed by God with Love, Happiness, and Laughter until we meet again.

Cheers! 

Impish Dragon