A Gentleman and a Scholar

My life has been blessed by the presence and love of many good people over the years and tonight my thoughts are centered around one in particular, Marvin Cooley. A gentleman of the first order - and a gentle man - Marvin is also a scholar who knows more about Michigan flora and fauna than probably anyone else in the state. He also has a dry sense of humor and has delighted in ribbing me since I joined the family in 1983. He's played many a prank on me that necessitated retaliation of equal (or greater) force and we've both delighted in pulling a fast one on the other. While he's always been fiscally conservative I've not missed a single opportunity to portray him as tighter than Scrooge but the truth is, he's a generous man.

This generous, kind, gentle man, my father-in-law, is very sick and in the hospital. The doctors think he can recover but he's been sick for some time now and he's very frail. We're very concerned about him. So I'm sending out my warmest thoughts of him and to him and hoping that the universe answers with kindness, strength, and compassion. Here's a picture of him at about the age of 4 or 5, in the early 1920s. Just look at that soulful face...

Be strong, Dad, and know that we love you.