Chris Henry
My sympathies are with the family of Chris Henry and of his fiancee Loleini Tonga, and the Bengals and the NFL. I am really sad about this to the point of tears because Chris Henry was really getting his life of track and off to a great future.
Much has been written about his less-than-stellar off-the-field past, much of it the product of a misguided young man. But the Bengals really hung in there as did many in the NFL including former Dallas Cowboys Wide Receiver Michael Irvin, who must be totally devastated by this development. Irvin was personally involved in helping Henry.
We love people who overcome personal demons and rise to the level of success they so richly deserve. Chris Henry was one of those people. What bothers me is that my prayer that Henry make it wasn't answered, which can only mean God has a better place for him. I'll just have to accept that.
Folks, when you've attended or have been informed of, seven funerals and memorials of friends and relatives in two years, it impacts you. That's what I've been through - four this year alone and two within one week. The latest was Jerry Foster, a friend and a long-time patron of The Alley in Oakland where I go and sing (or try to), who died in his home last week; his memorial was Sunday. I got the call about Jerry as I was boring the plane from Atlanta to Chicago.
Life is not promised to us and we meet or at least see so many people, good people, along this journey, that it's hard to see them go. I will miss Chris Henry, both for his football skill and for his promising future. I will miss Jerry Foster singing at The Alley, using his PDA to read the lyrics of a song he picked out. I'll miss kidding him about his beloved Minnesota Vikings, and talking about their quarterback, Brett Farve.
A sad day of a terrible week.
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