So before you read this blog, please go back to bobbyjava.com and read my blog titled, “Goodbye My Dear Friend.” If you read that article first this one will make more sense to you.
After 14 years I had lost my dear friend. It was a Case XX blue bone pocket knife that my son had given to me back in 2003. It was a constant (daily) reminder of not only him but the circumstances around how I ended up with that particular knife.
So this past June I get a package in the mail a few days before fathers day from my son who now lives in Connecticut and I am in Phoenix. I figured it was for Fathers Day so I didn’t open it right away. He texted me that night and said, hey, I see my package arrived for fathers day, you should go ahead and open it since he was just a bit excited about sending this package. So I had waited a day or so and figured I would open the box.
Well to my surprise right there in front of me was my very new best friend. It was a blue bone Case xx pocket knife. It was so very similar to the one that I had previously lost that again I could feel my eyes start to water up (just a bit). But the real surprise came when I opened up the blade. Now albeit this is a two blade knife and the first one had a single blade, he told me that particular knife with one blade and in that size is nearly impossible to find. But back to the blade, on one side it was inscribed with the following, “My Dear Friend”, and on the other side is said the following, 04/17/2003. This was the date of which he gave me the first knife. This knife was and is just as special as the first one he had given me for my birthday 14 years earlier.
I never thought the first one could be replaced, “EVER”, but my son proved me wrong and made this memory so very special. This knife goes with me everywhere, every day. And when I travel by air from now on, I’m going to carry stamped, padded envelopes just in case I forget to put my friend in my checked bag. I promise I won’t be as careless as I was with the first one. Oh, don’t get me wrong, I do miss my first knife from my son, and I would travel far and wide to try to get it back if I could but the realization is that it’s long gone by now.
Thank you son for providing me with such memories even though we are thousands of miles from each other. You can’t imagine how much I miss you and would love to have you back in Arizona with us. I know you are making your way in life like any man would and for that I am so very proud. Thank you once again for all the memories.
I’ve attached a few photo’s of my new friend (see below).
Bob~
Just a Simple Man 