A great man is gone.

Yes we have lost another. This time my husbands Uncle George.

His obituary says he was 92 years old. He served in WWII. He was a pilot who flew the China-Burma-India theater. And, he retired as a Lt. Colonel.

It really doesn't tell you much. It doesn't tell you what a joy he was to be around. Or, how he had a clean joke for every occasion.

It doesn't tell you how, when the wife of the leader of China came to the U.S. and spoke at the Univ. of Mich., she asked "Who will save China?" This was at the start of WWII. Uncle George jumped up from his seat to volunteer.

It doesn't say that he was at the Univ. of Mich. on a tennis scholarship and a real party boy for the times.

It doesn't tell you he was part of the famous unit "The Flying Tigers" or that he flew the infamous "Burma Hump".

His obit mentions only a few of the medals he earned. It doesn't tell you what a caring man he was. It doesn't tell you he continued to play tennis well into his 80s.

There is so very much more to this wonderful man's life, I could go on and on.
But, I am just beginning to understand something.

I have had the pleasure and the honor of knowing some amazing people in my life. And if I have learned one thing from this wonderful man it is: To look to the future. It is all well and good to remember the past. But,you can not change it. You can use it to help you build your own future.