Brainfart: A skinners tale

Sunday, April 23, 2006

Nerio not out of the woods yet...

Hi friends,

Received a saddening email from the family of Nerio describing yet another tragedy that has befallen them. It appears that while out of home because of his current recovery from the car accident they received word that his house was burned to the ground by arsonists. Police reports seem to indicate thiefs breaking and entering, possibly lured by the many gifts he has received from friends because of the accident and his subsequent recovery.

Nerio is not doing well as result. He is currently refusing to eat, attend physical therapy, open his eyes or even communicate with close loved ones because of the shock of the whole event.


Nerio, I wish I could be there with you. I wish none of this had happened, the accident, the fire, the hard recovery. I wish I had the power, ability and money to more directly assist you. Sometimes, I really wish I wasn't some poor graduate student but a more capable person to assist dear friends in need.

The previous paragraph is a rather depressing wish-list. As I mature, it becomes more evident to me that wishing for things often leads to disappointment when we cannot receive the things we wish for. Let me instead counter with some things that I never actually wished for, but have very gratefully been given:

Nerio, I never thought in getting to know you through the AstonShell forums that you'd turn out to be such a close friend and associate. I never envisioned that there were people out there who come to love their friends so unconditionally without ever having seen them, as you do so regularly. I never expected anyone to contribute so freely and amiably to an organization composed of people from so many different walks of life without ever expecting something in return. I never thought people of this kind of quality would ever be a part of my life, and yet here you are, and here is the remainder of the skinyourscreen.com community - united in friendship in a group you helped to form, Nerio!

In short, it's often the things we don't ask for that truly bring value to our lives, enrich our vision, and feed our souls. I could wish for a million things at this point, but it might overlook the tremendous gift it is that Nerio is still alive, that he's still my friend.

Nerio, if you get to read this, don't let this gift stop... don't close your eyes now. See the friends and loved ones who admire you. Eat your food so you can recover and come back to us. We miss you, friend, and anxiously await the day we can enjoy your regular conversation and friendship.

Get better, my friend.

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