Jill's Journal: Puffy eyes and sad good-byes

I, like many of you, started out my week with puffy eyes and a sad good-bye.

On Sunday, I attended the celebration of Coach Chad Garrow’s life. It was a wonderful ceremony that helped to provide comfort to all those mourning his way-too-soon-in-life passing.

I have to admit, it felt a bid odd dabbing tears that fell from eyes. Typically, when I’m leaving the Activities Center, it’s with a smile acknowledging the victory a Lynx athletic team just secured or perhaps grumbling about the loss we may have been handed. On one Sunday every May, I’ve walked out of the gym breathing a sigh of relief: Graduation. It marks the end of a busy school year, and means that a few more evenings will soon be opening up on this ol’ newspaper editor’s schedule.

I think it would be fair to say that we are all going to miss the man who meant so much to so many in a wide array of ways. Whether that be a husband, a father, a son, a brother, a teacher, a coach, a friend, a mentor, a Jeep fanatic, a foodie, and the list goes on and on.

As Pastor Kirk Strand told us in his message, “You have done good my faithful servant.”

This week, the Journal staff also said “good-bye” to one of our team members, Erin. She’s been like a daughter to me – hence the difference in our ages – but more importantly, a good and faithful servant to our mission.

It was a few weeks ago on a Monday morning that she told me she would be leaving our Journal family. I told her I knew this day would sometime come, although it’s surely a day I was not looking forward to. I imagine it’s the same feeling that a parent has when they send their child off to kindergarten or college or hand them off at the altar to the man or woman who will become their spouse.

I wish Erin all the best in her new venture, and want her to know that just because she’s no longer on the payroll, she’ll always be part of the Journal family.