My hero is my childhood friend Jeff. Jeff was Captain of the football team, class valedictorian, and the first graduate from our high school to attend a US service academy. He graduated from the US Air Force Academy in 1983 and went on to become a pilot. He was the all-American boy, and grew to be a fine man. Although he dated many great girls, when he brought 'Pete' home for a visit, Jeff's family & friends all knew that she was the one for him. He took her to the top of a hill overlooking his Shenandoah Valley family farm and asked her, humbly, if she thought she could ever live in such a place, as he proposed to her.
On a lovely autumn day in October of 1988, Jeff died in a crash of the Air Force plane he was piloting, along with 5 other crewmembers. It was just 3 weeks after their wedding.
In losing my best friend in such a drastic way, I have became a stronger and better person - with more compassion, and keeping much of Jeff's spirit, which is always with me. I learned through this experience that the spirit of one who has passed does not diminish - it grows stronger with the years. Jeff left an indelible and positive impact on all who knew him, and I am in awe of the continuing goodwill his name generates in all who knew him.
I didn't think much about heaven until long after Jeff was gone. Yet there have been times I feel his spirit has come to me, and this has given me the sure faith that we old friends will meet again one day.
Submitted by Anonymous
We've all had people in our lives who have made a positive impact on us. A parent or grandparent, a sibling who was there for us, or maybe even just a guy who shines shoes for a living? Whoever they are, tell us their story so they can inspire us even more.
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