Yesterday was the 70th birthday party for a good buddy of ours, Jack Dehne. Mother Nature could not have been more uncooperative, and for much of the afternoon it rained like the day Noah finished his boat. But Jack’s wife and kids had rented a big tent and the garage was also taken up with seating, and everybody just hunkered down and didn’t let the deluge dampen their spirits. Not even a little bit. There was the comfort of wonderful food- stimulating company- and the delight of watching our niece Lorelai taking delight in all kinds of sights and sounds as Polly, ever the patient tour guide, led her around the yard. I also had the pleasure of watching brother-in-law Mark play with his latest toy- the spectacular iPhone. It’s like having the whole world in the palm of your hand, no fooling. And if it can’t be on my own toy shelf, at least it’s on Mark’s.
All afternoon long, Jack was in his glory, downpour and all. He is someone who has taken more than a few hard licks, physically, and he is moving a bit slower than he did back in his football glory days – but he feels mighty blessed to be here at all, and that’s part of what he said in his really touching remarks at the end of the day. In fact, I was impressed that the very first words out of his mouth in his speech were “I first want to thank my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, who makes all of this possible.” Jack is one of the all-time great kidders, but he also knows how to be serious- and he knows what really matters most in life.
Anyway, Kathy and I were honored to be a small part of the proceedings, offering a little a cappella rendition of one of our favorite duets, “I Remember It Well” from Gigi – which is two old lovers reminiscing about their first date many years ago – and disagreeing about every single detail! Mostly very funny but with a twist of poignancy- much like Jack himself and Jack’s party. But I’m sure that most people who were there will forget about our little duet and will instead be remembering Kathy’s dad and his lovely rendition of the song “Old Friends” – “. . . for all of these years, My Old Friend, through the laughter and tears. . . “ Bob and Jack have been friends for 49 years by now, so this song is more than just a song for them – it’s their real life story. And may they have many more years and many more opportunities to enjoy that song and its sentiments together.