As we come to the close of 2018, it is time for — what else? — reflecting.
We here at IAVM wish you and yours a happy and healthy 2019 and look forward to another year of serving you, our valued members.
It has been my pleasure to serve as your editor of Facility Manager magazine and to contribute each week to the IAVM News newsletter. As I have said many times over, I consider myself one of the luckiest dudes around who gets to match his passions of writing and as a frequent customer of events held at our member venues.
As you continue recharging those batteries in preparation for another busy year, I wanted to share with you a brief two-minute video that highlights my 2018, my marriage on June 16 to Charlotte Cariker. I never thought I would be marrying again at age 61, but as those of you who know my story, I never thought I would lose my wife four years ago at age 48 during an otherwise unremarkable day surgery procedure.
God blessed me by finding a Grief Share class I needed to deal with the loss of the love of my life while at the same time introducing me to a lady in the class who had lost her husband just two months prior to my loss. We had plenty in common and share many a night on the phone talking through our grief, often through sobs and tears.
Today, I stand fortunate as someone who has gone from mourning to joy and now along with my wife pay it forward by leading a Grief Share class at our church. Yes, 2018 has been good to me, and it would have been regardless of whether I had remarried or not, for I know I have never been left to go through this alone by God as well as our wonderful IAVM members who have been at my side for these several years.
See you in 2019 and enjoy the video!
