How do you feel, when someone dies? Very sad.
How can you possibly feel when it is your Friend that dies, with whom you’ve shared
life, everyday unimportant matters and huge projects, with whom you consulted on
future plans, dreamt up a vision of the future, planned actions, when You can’t
bear it, but you have to carry on living. You cannot imagine the future, but
the future comes, day upon day, and somehow, we get through...
People phone and ask, “How do you feel?” - the simplest of questions one can ask. I
know, they ask because they care, but what can you say? Something else equally
trivial? You just don’t want to say anything ...
Janek. My Friend and Confidant. My Partner in serving the church, my Reviewer and my Confessor.
He was a man with a heart for people. He was always ready to help others, ready to
go and help even in the middle of the night. He had a huge heart and showed it
to those in need. He helped in matters small and important, whether renovating
and decorating or doing shopping, when someone needed a lift somewhere, or
needed advice, encouragement, needed someone to notice their cares and respond
to them ...
He was full of wisdom, and his advice to me - and I suspect to many - was
priceless. I remember how we sometimes talked for a long time during our elders
meetings, and then Janek would speak up and we all knew that there was nothing
more to add: he spoke of that which was right, appropriate. He could sum up
the discussion in a sentence, and when he spoke, we knew that was the truth,
that that was what we should do ...
He also knew how to laugh and have a good time, and his sense of humour was almost
legendary … His funny sayings will stay with me forever. (Two things I never
say: the rosary and 'no' to an offer of cake).
His presence brought in an atmosphere of peace, reconciliation, accord. He was a
wonderful church elder, the pastor’s right hand man, a support I could always
count on. He was someone I could consult and an advisor capable of speaking a
difficult truth in a manner that was full of love, a pastor who commanded trust,
an unusual, never to be forgotten friend ...
Today we say goodbye with sadness, though really we do not say “goodbye”, but “see you
later” …
See you one day, Janek. I know you’re now happy, that that which is evil here on earth is
now behind you, and you’re having a laugh with the angels telling them all your
jokes … I know, that if you could, You would be the one to comfort us today and
you’d chastise us for being sad …
See you, Janek, see you one day, my best Friend …
