A Toast to Boner

Boner, (Center) at Mock Rock

I'm sure many people will look twice at the title of this post. But, that was how Mike Goudward was known to all of the folks at Camp Midicha. I'm still not sure why... someone said something about a t-shirt with a bone on it... but, I dunno. Doesn't matter. He was "Boner" to the Midicha friends who loved him.
Saturday we had to say goodbye to him. It was an all too familiar scene. Gerad has been gone a year and a half, and now Boner, too. Both taken from us because of diabetes. The same diabetes that I, and most all of my Midicha friends also have the thrill of dealing with 24/7.
So there we were...about 30 of us from Midicha, gathered to mourn the passing of a great friend. Everyone said he had a smile that lit up the room, that he could make anyone laugh, that he befriended everyone, no matter what. And they were right.
My memories of Boner started in my early teens. He was a counselor, and boy did we campers worship those counselors. He was always stuck to the hip with Nate. Nate and Boner. The names were never separated. I can remember them doing Mock Rock every year together. They led songs in the Dining Hall together. They always had so much fun and were always smiling.
I'm mad that he was taken so young. I'm mad that the cure that they have been speaking of in "the next five years" has still gone on...and it's been 25 years. I'm mad that more people don't give organs. What the heck will you need them for once your dead? Don't people know how many lives can be saved or greatly improved? I'm just mad.
And sad. I'm sad. Losing someone as great as Mike is a loss. I think of his son. His family. His friends. How much we will all miss him.
Erinn

Nate and Boner

Me and Boner