What can I tell you about Dan? I can tell you my biggest regret, and that is not being as close to him these days as we were when we were kids.
I don't have a good memory of my childhood. Most of it seems vague, blurry and unreal. I'm not sure how much of it is true and how much is in my head. But for many years, I kept a rather detailed record of my day-to-day and my thoughts about things in diaries.
I was reading back through some of those and I was reading about Dan. Our childhood isn't as much a memory for me as it is a feeling I get when I read about those times. As I imagine how they were. Borrowing dad's watch Friday nights so we could wake up and watch Super Friends on Saturday morning... Catching frogs and crawdads in the creek...
Dan was my built in buddy as a kid. We did everything together. Now I probably see him once or twice a year. But that's understandable. Dan has a lot of competition for his time. He's raising 8 kids and working two jobs to support his family. Between his work and his kids, he's probably tired.
But I miss him. Very much.
I'm fortunate to be in contact with various members of his family, including his wife, Amy... She and I are good friends and I get updated on his activities from her. She's fantastic at letting me know how he's doing and what's going on. In that way, I feel like I'm still a part of his life.
Dan is a good man. He works hard, and does his very best to raise his family. There's not a single word I could ever say about him that wouldn't contain my respect and appreciation for the man he's become!
I love him very much. He's my brother. I would move the world for him.
Dan is a reason for being.
