Pete.

At my home on Topaz Drive I have a yellow dog
But even he, in preciousness, is not the topic of this blog
Rather, now, I'll focus on his grandpa with two feet
That steady neighbor up the road, even good ol' Pete

Pete Hamill is a kind old man, in my neighborhood
And his soul is the essence of the essence of all good
And every day he'd walk his dog right around our block
Passing our house without fail each day at 3 o' clock

For he would walk Jasper- or most times Jasper would walk him
For Pete did plod like Pluto and Jasper'd jump like Tiny Tim
I'd sometimes talk to them when I would go and get the mail
And they both would greet me with a smile- and the wag of a happy tail

And sometimes I'd be stretching, to go out on a run
Without fail he'd say something and tell me to have fun
And off I'd go, and blow past him, without a second thought
Never considering him or the physical wars he's fought

He is old now, but I think back then he was all but calm and slow
I bet when he would run it would be like one constant flow
So hearing now the echo of those words as I'd take off
I learn the lesson to keep going- you can't ever get enough


Sometimes while they were walking I would drive on past
And Pete would wave to me so slow, though I was going fast
I see know that the happiness in taking time to greet
Is something that brings joy to more than just one soul like Pete

You might think that people stay inside when it gets cold
Especially those bald walkers who are actually kind of old
But no, think again, when considering my friend Pete Hamill
Even in the winter, he'd walk up and down those hills

Pete and Jasper, Jasper and Peter, the regulars everyone knows
The consistency of the owner is the main point of this prose
For everyday Pete would take that dog out for his walk
To think he does it still brings me not a single shock

Though it should-and now you see, Pete's plod is getting slower
He doesn't respond like he once did to the tugging on his shoulder
For years he'd follow Jasper round, even if it was quite slow
Simply cus he loves his dog and his dog just loves it so

Topaz Drive still sees them, now they're a tamer pair
Jasper has calmed down- but they still have a wave to spare
Instead of tugging like when he was young, Jasper walks next to Pete
And Pete still walks the block, his dog's desire to always meet

The lesson here that I'll point out 'bout this tender soul
Is Pete is one who always gave his love to others in whole
Walking is hard, when you are old, and your dog is a jumpy pup
But when it comes to serving others, you just keep it up!

For one day when you are walking the familiar block of service
People will see you and recognize something they never noticed
You are out there everyday with the sick, afflicted, and hungry
Even if it means walking in the cold- you've been making someone happy

And after awhile they'll look again and tears will spring to their eyes
You'll teach them a lesson Pete taught me about selfless sacrifice
You see, when you walk that road, others tugging with demands
You sometimes give your own will up and do as He commands

Mourn with those that mourn and comfort those that stand in need
And later something will happen-miraculous indeed
Eventually those tugging souls whose service you did provide
Will--like Jasper did for Pete--slow, and walk by your side.

Boldly Going= Bolding

This past summer I was a wandering little soul who knew nothing about how to be in the non-freshman college world, but I was fortunate to be associated with an older sister who luckily had many friends that kindly took me under their wings and showed me the ropes. One of these said souls stands at about my height but is seriously a giant in sociability, talents, spiritual growth, intelligence, innovation, humor, and purely defined friendship.

Joshua Bolding!

Here is an ABC's for Josh, who I sincerely cherish above most other people here. (Warning: Josh is one of those souls for whom I know a blog spotlight will ever do justice, but it must be done)

A: Athletic haha (except at Bocce Ball and laser tag!)
B: Bold- quite fitting for Bolding. If he gets an idea, he will boldly pursue it.
C: Confident and competitive. Like, extremely.
D: Dedicated
E: Enduring
F: Feisty
G: Genuine. Not one thing about Josh is fake or a facade and he expects the same of everyone else and appreciates those who are genuine.
H: HIlarious
I: Innovative
J: Judges soundly
K: Kind. Seriously, like some people use this term loosely to describe anyone who smiles, but Josh really is like really truly a KIND person. I've never felt so cared for
L: Laughter! hhahaha just laugh with Josh and you won't be able to stop
M: Mexican. And proud of it.
N: No-crap policy. Josh won't put up with it.
O: Opinionated
P: Personable. Josh gets what he wants 97% of the time because he is personable
Q: Quiet observer. Which is why, originally, I think he was friends with Charina. They're both those that quietly observe but when the bond is formed they're right in there with the rest of the crowd laughing and making jokes and shniking.
R: Reflective. I've heard Josh tell stories that make me know he really thinks about himself and what he's experienced and then applies those lessons to what he's doing now, which is what real wisdom is all about
S: Shnike! Hahaha One of my downfalls is kind of poking fun at people and when I am with Josh it is all too easy to do that
T: TESTIMONY OF A GIANT. Listen to this guy talk about the gospel and his testimony of it, and you will be inspired and immediately have a greater desire yourself to be better.
U: Unfailing. Josh doesn't fail a lot, which is good, cus he doesn't like it.
V: Vigor. Or passion, some might say. In every cause to which he is devoted, he gives his full measure
W: Writer. Josh wrote all the basketball articles fall semester and they were great!
X: X-centric? He is pretty weird haha
Y & Z: these last two are going to be too hard to think of appropriate words without stretching too much, so i will just finish by saying Josh is also dear becuase he has distinct forearms and eyebrows (perpetually like this: / \) and he has taught me much about how to serve other people and never give up and be COMPLETELY real and just genuine to all that know me--none of this fake stuff. He has an astounding understanding of the gospel and incredible activeness in being SELFLESS all the time. And on the other hand of all these righteous components, Josh is feisty and shnikey and hilariously good at poking fun at people and all of these things are wonderfully endearing.

Thanks, Char, for leaving me with such a good friend!