A week ago Saturday...

my friend C was ordained as a minister.

I've thought long and hard about how to say the things I wanted to say that night, when they had a "second" shot at C to get up and speak. I just couldn't organize my thoughts that night, and I would say that I am probably not all the way there yet, but I am going to give it a try.

First, a quick history of our friendship. We met in the 4th grade, when he moved from the Motor City to my hometown of Da Woods. That's a few years ago, and I can proudly say that we've known each other for about 72% of our lives and been friends for about 67% of our lives (let's just say that high school was a rough time for both of us - I didn't want to be me, and there were other forces at work).

Now, to the Saturday before last. Most of the day is quite a blur. I got there in time for the ceremony, but let's just say that I almost didn't (thank goodness that the "Low Fuel Warning" in my parent's Lincoln comes on with a gallon left in the tank...because if it came on with a half gallon, I wouldn't have made it). So I was already in that "oh, shoot, I'm not going to make it in time" mode. Then I got to the church, and got tackled by my "niece" (C's real niece) when I got through the entrance of the church. That pretty much got me into the "this is gonna be a great day" mode (she gives really good hugs :)).

Since it is such a blur for me, I am going to just say the general feelings I got from the people around me. There was much joy in Whoville, that is a definite. There was singing and much praise handed out.

And that is where the really good thoughts I have started spinning out and blurring the whole picture, through my tears at the beauty of the songs and the sermons and the people involved in all of this and the words that they spoke about my friend, C.

You see, C had already touched my life in about a million different ways. We have cried through some things, and we have celebrated some tremendous victories and life moments together. And I have (it seems) always known him as my friend, C.

I have in other posts talked about things that make them real. Like when I design a building or a bridge, touching them after they are built makes them real to me. Well, I think that was part of the blurring I was talking about above.

I had always kind of had the idea that C was going to be a minister. And I had an inkling that he was going to be a really good one, too. The day before last made it a "real" thing for me. Seeing the reaction of the people who had ordained him, seeing the reaction of the people who had helped teach him, seeing the reactions of his peers, well, it was emotionally very intense and very, very real.

I am so pumped that C is beginning the journey of sharing his talents with everyone else (he has always shared, I guess, but with only the few people he was friends with). Now that he is sharing with all of these other people, well, it's just really, really cool.

Good work, my friend, good work.