Thank You Jim

Have you ever had a friend do something so special for you that any sort of thank you just seems inadequate?  Louise and I seem to be encountering this dilemma frequently since we’ve come home to Clemson.  Before we even moved into our house here (we had bought it but hadn’t moved any furniture yet), several of our friends here welcomed us by bringing food and drinks and chairs over for a welcoming tailgate party.  We knew then that we had made the right decision to move to Clemson.  I never felt like we had adequately thanked them.  So, again, thanks guys.  You know who you are – please know that we cherish your friendship.

Louise and I, along with the other “Deac locals,” helped to host a fraternity reunion this past weekend; we call it a “Deacathon.”  Over 40 of our fraternity brothers and their wives came back home to Clemson to help us celebrate.   We know they didn’t come just for us, but it was certainly special for Louise and me to reunite with friends that we don’t see nearly enough, some we hadn’t seen for over 50 years.

One of those dear friends (and fraternity brother) is Jim Sutherland.  Although I do see Jim occasionally, this time was very special.  Jim was President of our Senior Class at Clemson in 1967, the year I graduated.  As President, he was responsible for coordinating our Golden Anniversary (50 year) last year.  He asked me to help by being on the Planning Committee, and I was happy to do so.  In addition to having been a star basketball player as a student at Clemson, and then becoming a world-renowned pediatric heart surgeon, Jim is also a brilliant artist.  He asked me a few months ago if I had a special picture, a scene, that I might want painted.  At his urging I sent him a photo of a scene from the back deck of our house on Cooper Ridge in Todd.  It looked out over the valley to the christmas tree farm on the adjacent ridge.  The scene also showed a bluebird house that I had put up.  There was a bluebird sitting on top of it when I took the photo.  Also, the photo did not show this, but I told Jim that I often saw a rainbow in the distance when looking out over this vista.

Well, Jim completed the painting and brought it to me at the “Deacathon.”  It’s a beautiful work of art and is now hanging in our living room.  We will get a suitable frame for it.  The photo below of the painting doesn’t do it justice – it doesn’t show the intimate detail that Jim put into the painting; such as, the bluebird, the christmas trees in the distance, and the hint of a rainbow in the upper right.  You have to come to 113 Knollwood Drive in Clemson to see it in person and really appreciate the work he put into it.

This is definitely one of those situations where no form of thank you is adequate.  But Jim, please know that we are deeply moved by your friendship, your generosity and your talent.  We will proudly share this painting with all who visit us.

This is not the first time Jim has done something special for me.  A few months ago he invited me to his home in Atlanta to be the guest author at his very prestigious book club.  Not only that, he also bought copies of my book, “Finding Strong,” for every member of the book club.

You’re a good man, Jim.   Here’s another inadequate “thanks.”

View from back deck of home at Cooper Ridge in Todd.