Ras & I were texting back and forth tonight. Maybe it was because of the emotional part of the movie I was watching or because it's starting to hit me that he's leaving in 11 days, but I sent him a really heartfelt text. I expressed my deep appreciation of him and his friendship. He responded with a similar text and I started to cry. I'm really going to miss my friend. He's done a lot for me, these last several months. I use to just regard him as another guy in my YSA ward and my nephew's friend. But then I got to know him, and there's a lot more than meets the eye.
He thinks of others before himself. He helps out in any and every way possible. He's dependable and loyal. While I was Relief Society president, he was ALWAYS extremely helpful. Ras has a heart of gold, one of the kindest and caring guys I could have in my life. The night I tanked in singing at stake conference, he lifted my spirits and reassured me. When I was upset over a nephew's engagement announcement on Facebook, he empathized with me. We've had some serious chats and some light hearted ones too, but he's always the same Ras, to me.
I know others would be shocked to think that he's anything but the cynical, apathetic & callous person he comes off as. There's SO much more to him. I count my lucky stars (or at least the pretty silver one he gave me for my birthday) to be his friend. I'm going to miss him, a lot.
