Build barns and fucken squirrel that shit

It will not always be summer; build barns.

- Hesiod -

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Not too long ago I lost a very good friend I'd known for over twenty five years; his loss has hit me hard. He had mental health issues and always managed to control it, mitigating its affect on his life and the lives of his family and friends but not too long ago he took his own life in a rather brutal manner.

I've spoken with his wife every day since; she's distraught and has gone through the stages of grief over the time however has had to keep things moving, her life I mean. I've tried to help in some small way by offering some emotional support and our friends group rallied providing some financial assistance also; she has been very grateful.

Today we spoke about financial matters and I was pleased to hear she has managed to get things into order and that some of the plans they put in place together are starting to work out; I mean insurances.

It wasn't that long ago when insurance companies wouldn't pay life insurance on death by suicide however that's changed and most do now. Of course there's hoops to jump through, which is what my friend's wife has been doing, however it's all starting to work out now and things won't be as tight as they have been since her husband's death.

I chose the Hesiod quote above as it reminded me of something my mate used to say. He used to say, fucken squirrel that shit, referring to saving and financial planning for their future, putting something away for the winter so to speak, like a squirrel.

I know, it's not as eloquent as Hesiod's version but if you saw that dude talking investments and the passion with which he said it you'd probably laugh - I miss that fucking dude so much but even now thinkin about it makes me smile. He was a funny fucker. Fucken squirrel that shit, he'd yell at the younger blokes and they'd look at him like was stark raving mad and in truth he probably was! He cared though and in quieter moments he'd help those around us get on track financially for a better future.

He was always talking about investments and savings and that he never wanted his family to suffer if he died. He paid for insurances, extra on the mortgage and worked hard to find a few extra bucks where he could never spending his money frivolously. This was pre-cryptocurrency so that wasn't much of a thing for him although he and his son had a small amount at the end as he started getting into it over the last couple years. He left his family in a reasonable financial position.

I wish I could tell my mate that his squirrel that shit mission was a success.

Sure, his wife has gone through a couple of very difficult months financially since his death but it seems things are going to level out now. She'll not be rich but will be able to pay off the mortgage and have some left over to re-invest which is what we're talking about at the moment. She's interested in cryptocurrency and we're working out some strategies for her. She made me laugh this morning...She said, G-dog, we need to talk about how to squirrel that shit. (she left off the fucken part.)

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My friend served this country with great honour putting himself in harms way, so others did not have to. I met him twenty five years ago when we were both fresh-faced twenty-something's and we spent a lot of time together since. One of the most enduring memories I have of him is his sense of responsibility to his family. It was deeply ingrained in him and we talked so many times about taking care of those we love over the years. He was a shining example of how a true man acts.

When his war concluded he came home but fought a lifelong battle with PTSD which ultimately defeated him. I really miss that man and the way he always did the right thing no matter what, loyal to a fault and a fierce warrior; but one of the most important things he did was build barns and squirrel that shit. He defended his people, fought for them and provided for them, even after death.

Thanks for putting up with my words...I miss my buddy a lot right now, lost another only a week or so ago and am feeling a little down about it. It helps to write stuff like this so thanks for understanding and putting up with it.