John...

Thinking of you on your birthday, I reflect on having known you these years.

It seems like it could have been yesterday when you walked Lily up the road when I was out playing basketball that day.

I've come to realize it's no accident our lives coincided, and today I recall what it's meant being your friend.

So here we are.

Your world and mine are now far apart.

Yet even though the distance between us is great, we have connections because of who we are, who we became together over the years.

As I think about who I am now

I realize that in many ways, it's the times we spent together that developed who I am today.

 The times of discovery when we found new places in the woods, they showed us our desire for adventure.

 Each one of those times was a spark on the kindling. Without those sparks there would be no present flame.

Without that we would not be who we are today.

What seems like years ago, we spoke of training, packing for the journeys of our lives.

In our minds we divided the stages of packing and leaving, we put a line between training and ultimately using what we learned.

But having started my journey there’s something I’ve discovered.

The line between the two is blurred, even indistinguishable.

All along we’ve been using what we have. And now on the road, I still train.

So know this: the training is more vital than we thought. It is not something you know for a time then store away.

It is something we will use right to the end, and something we will continue to develop.

 In classes we train our minds for knowledge. As we live and breathe every day we think of the world around us, we train our minds in the way of understanding.

We think, and we ask ourselves why we think. This inquisitive spirit in both of us thirsts for understanding.

We work and train ourselves to be disciplined, and we push ourselves past our limits to train our bodies for power. It is this strength, forged by our discipline, which will continue to grow everyday.

 We feel our capacity for strength, and something in us calls to be unleashed.

In our adventures we tapped into that call, and we want to harness all the power it has to offer.

As there is need for our training on our voyages, we will learn to appreciate what we have developed and who we have become.

These are just a few of the things that I remember when I think of the times we've had.

So as I think of you back home, I want to be back there, in that place of training...

but at the same time I'm so glad, and so blessed to be where I am, living each day as the man I've become.

I know you must be longing more than ever to begin your journey these days. It will start soon enough, so make good use of your training time.

I came to the foothills of this mountain and walked up it with the training and knowledge I'd developed.

I tell you this, because you'll do the same. You will embark on your adventure, and in just a few short months, you'll take your first step.

You really should be proud of yourself as you come to this day in your life.

You'll always have your sense of adventure, your strength, your courage and your friends.

Happy birthday.

from Alex

September 12, 2005

Right-click here and press "Save target as" to download the background MIDI.