A couple weekends ago we lost a great guy. To those of us who knew him from our Holmes Hall past, his name was Chet - to everyone else, Bret. Either way, he left us way too soon. Chet was one of those people that is so universally well-liked by everyone, that they can get away with just about anything. I don't mean that in a bad way at all - he was just one of those guys. Everyone respected him. He earned his universal acceptance by being a great friend, a great husband, and because he was willing to do anything for anyone at any time - even if he dropped an f-bomb in a fit of disgust, you still knew that he'd pull through for you when you needed him. He also had a humility that few people have. If he was wrong about something - eventually he'd realize it, it would show in his face, and he'd tell you he was wrong - and he'd apologize too. It takes a great person to do that - to set aside your ego, swallow your pride, and do the right thing. Chet was one of those people. He did the right thing, always, and that's why people loved him.Honestly, I haven't had to deal with death very much. I've been blessed, I guess, in the fact that I haven't lost many loved ones. So after Chet died, this past week we've all spent a lot of time telling these stupid, dumb, crazy Chet stories and laughing our asses off. As we've done this, I've wondered to myself "is this how it always is?" Does everyone who dies touch people in the way that Chet did? I guess it's something to shoot for. We can all aim to help people, be good to one another, and be humble - all with a certain injection of comedy - to the point that when we pass, hopefully those who grieve us will react the same way that we all did when Chet died.
