I lost one of my favorite people in the world today. My good friend, Russell Lewis, passed away this morning from esophageal cancer. 
Thanks to his wife, Margaret, I was able to see him Saturday afternoon for a couple of hours. He apologized so many times for being sick, which struck me as poignant. We had a great visit, and laughed many times. He seemed mostly concerned about hurting other people (from sadness).
I told him several times that I loved him, although that had started before he was even sick. We had a great connection.
I cried in front of him Saturday. I also had a chance to spoon-feed him ice chips and we prayed together a couple of times. His prayers were beautiful, frankly. There was a peace in their home that was tangible.
He became one of my best friends, and I ALWAYS looked forward to seeing him. When I was deeply depressed in 2012, Russell was actually the only person who came to see me. He showed up on my doorstep with peach jelly that he had made. I will never forget that. He sensed that I nee
ded a friend that day, and he drove an hour out of his way just to let me know he cared. Russell gave of himself freely and often, both through his personal relationships with friends and family and through his involvement with Mobile Loaves and Fishes and Habitat for Humanity.
We first met in person in the summer of 2008, and it was because of ActiveRain. He called me out of the blue one day, saying that he figured I understood this "blogging stuff". He asked it he could come by my office for 15 minutes to pick my brain. About 3 hours later, he left and we were fast friends.
We shared a love/hate relationship with the Dallas Cowboys, and a subversive sense of humor. I will miss him dearly and deeply. He had more manic energy that most people half his age, with an incredibly quick wit and no filter (at least around me). Our relationship was defined largely by what made us laugh. I joked with him Saturday, "At least you won't have to watch another season of the Cowboys not making the Super Bowl." He laughed and responded quickly, "That is a GREAT way to look at it."
One of my favorite and most memorable quotes from him was when he handed me a bag of fresh fruit a few years ago: "I'll kiss your a*s if that isn't the best peach you ever tasted!" I mention this one to honor his sense of humor, and I'm pretty much positive he would appreciate it.
Godspeed, my wacky, sensitive, hilarious friend. May God carry your family and friends in the palm of His hand and grant grace and peace to each of us.
I love you.
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