Wednesday, March 22, 2023
We shared so many good times and so many bad times with Bard. He was difficult, to be sure. Sometimes impossible! But during this sad time, I prefer to focus on his virtues. He was generous toward his friends, family, and strangers. It was not unusual for him to offer a freezing mailman or a delivery boy a warm drink. Or send extravagant gifts to his siblings and family, like 20 lobster tails and 10 pounds of salmon! And no one loved his dog, Boots, more than Bard, except for our father.
It is hard to express one’s feelings, so often marked by ambiguities and shadings. However, perhaps C.S. Lewis, no stranger to suffering, captures them best. "Love is not affectionate feeling, but a steady wish for the loved person's ultimate good as far as it can be obtained." Did we make a difference? Did we show enough compassion and understanding? Perhaps not always. But we loved Bard, however imperfectly.
Bard, you will always live in our hearts and minds. Rest in Peace. Love, Joanne and Richard
