I couldn’t tell you
what led me to ask,
or what it was exactly
that fueled my need.

I only know
that something within me
yearned to reach out,
and feel with my own hand,
the force of life within you,
your hearts own song
of God and man as one…
Forging a connection between us
with a language far, far more powerful
than any spoken word.

And I know in my soul, Friend,
that when you leave,
I’ll be going with you,
and you with me.

And later down the road,
when I’ve earned the privilege
to sit in your chair,
I wont forget
how you responded to me –
holding me with your eyes,
sometimes with your arms,
sometimes with your hands,
and always with your heart.

And I will see my friends before me
with a completely different lens;
A priceless lens,
so carefully ground
by times
of tears of laughter, of respect and trust,
and that one solitary moment
with my hand pressed in yours.

So when you close the door to your practice
for the very last time on the very last day,
know that your influence
will travel forward,
and the door will forever be open
to our ties with each other
and this magnificent universe
we share.