6 weeks

Over the weekend I heard the news that a guy I knew from college, Andrew Lindberg, was missing. He had been piloting a small private plane and hadn't been heard from since Friday night when he didn't arrive at his destination.

Andrew was a friend of a friend. He was good friends with some of my good friends and I certainly knew him and spent time with him but I wouldn't say that he and I were good friends. He was a friendly acquaintance and someone I enjoyed spending time with when we were at the same party or I saw him around campus. It even took me a few minutes to remember who he was but once I put the pieces together the memories started flooding back.

This morning the wreckage of his plane - and his body - were found in a rural part of Minnesota only accessible by an old snowmobile trail. No additional details have been posted but I can only hope and pray that he died on impact and didn't suffer in the four and a half days it took to find his body.

It is always disturbing when someone you know dies. I haven't seen Andrew since I graduated from Gustavus ten years ago but that doesn't mean I don't mourn his death. He was a great guy. He was funny, friendly, and outgoing. He was just a nice guy. I wish I could have known him better.

But this is what has really shaken me up about his death. Andrew got married six weeks ago.....almost to the day. He disappeared on a Friday night and the next day would have been the six week anniversary of his wedding. As far as I know I've never met his wife. I don't think she went to Gustavus and as far as I know, even if she did, I don't think I've ever met her. But she's a widow now. A widow. After six weeks. I can't even wrap my mind around that. The nine years that Lincoln and I have been married have gone by so fast I can't imagine how she feels knowing that she only got six weeks with her husband. I'm sure they probably haven't even finished sending out the thank you notes for the wedding gifts yet and now she'll be sending "thanks for the funeral flowers." That's just wrong.

So Kate, my thoughts are with you. We've never met but I hope you know that your husband touched the lives of many and even though he was only a very small part of my life he was part of it and I thank God I had the pleasure of knowing him.

Rest in Peace Andrew