DEAR JOHN

I’ve been blessed in my life.

A remarkable family.

More friends than I really deserve. ?

And a career that allowed me to meet so many exceptional human beings that I will never be able to recount them all.?

I just wrapped a conversation with one of them. ?

He’s been retired for almost a decade now… a long time since we worked together. ?

I found myself reflecting on his unique gifts as we chatted this evening.

And I thought of this well-known quote as I hung up. ?

?“All things being equal, we will do business with people we like. And all things not being equal, we will still do business with people that we like.”

I wish I had been the one to say it first. ?

If I had, I’m pretty sure I would have had John in mind. ?

He spent decades in industry – built a long list of accomplishments – retired finally only to find in the first days post-career that he had a serious illness to suddenly deal with. ?

It was a devastating diagnosis to be sure. ?

But my old friend is a tough guy. ?

He managed to endure – and even today fights the good fight.?

He’s surrounded by a family that loves him – to include a wife that has never waivered – and children and grandchildren that adore him.

And so, my buddy carries his oxygen tank to ball games and school events without fail – proud to see a generation that will carry on his legacy.

And when I think about that, I hope…

• I hope those kids know their grandfather is a special human being.
• I hope his DNA will carry forward to the next generations – offer them a precious gift.?

• And I hope they will somehow manage to pay it forward. Heaven knows, this is a world in desperate need.

?

John has never met a stranger.?

He won’t show up on the likability scale. That’s because he broke it.

He’s always treated every person he meets like they are the most important person in the world.??

I think it’s because, to John, they are. ?

And because of that I think he knows more people (arguably) than anyone I have ever met.

Every one of them would have wonderful things to say about him. ?

It’s too easy to say that John simply has strong interpersonal skills. ?

That would be like saying Antarctica is a tad chilly in the wintertime. ??

It’s something more – and I can’t do justice to it in an article. No matter how much I try. ?

I used to joke with him that if I got a speeding ticket in his state I wouldn’t call a lawyer. I would call John.

He agreed that it would be the wiser move. ?

The people that reported to him loved him. Even more important, they trusted him.

I think they knew that no one would ever have their back more than John. ?

It’s a rare leadership quality – the ability to convey compassion – the willingness to trust.

John had it then – has it now.?

I don’t understand why bad things sometimes happen to good people.

I’ve decided to look at it a different way.

Sometimes good people happen to bad things. ?

And because of that, scores of former colleagues end their day by saying a quiet prayer for our friend.

It’s the least we can do.

He gave us something first