Last night, my friend died. Dr. Howard Leslie was 49-years-old and lost a long battle with melanoma. We had been partners in practice for 17 years. It’s hard for me to imagine that he will not be back in the ER, joking and laughing, eating pretzels, practicing medicine with talent and compassion and fuming at injustice, drug seekers and all who wasted his time without actually wanting his help.
A practice is like that; it leaves us connected, feeling that all is well as long as the others can share the load with you. Well, a proper practice, anyway. It’s a family, in which good things and bad things occur. Your brothers and sisters sometimes bug you and you bug them; but you see them for the amazing people they are. And woe to anyone who messes with ‘the firm. ‘
I guess Howard was rather like a big brother to us. He was a kind of anchor, a rock, an Alabama -loving, golf-playing, child-adoring mountain of a guy who would do absolutely anything for someone who needed it.
Over the years that we practiced together, as with so many of my partners, I was always terrified that I would disappoint, or seem weak, or less skilled than he. If I was, he would never have said it.
Howard is a Christian; and the point of that verb tense should be obvious. What I believe, what Howard now knows, is that that our desire to beat death, our desire to go on, exists for the simple reason that we do. I am confident that I will see him again. He rested in that hope in his final weeks. In the hope that he would not leave his wife or children forever, but only for a while. Now, I walk in that hope as well.
And for all I know, thanks to the vagaries of time and timelessness, thanks to the mercy of God and the work of Jesus, it will only be a moment before we are all together again, laughing and telling stories, content that we will never face another crazy night or overwhelmed waiting room. Only a moment…
But here, ah here; it will seem like ages.
Rest in peace, brother. See you before you know it. I’ll take up golf in heaven, just so I can play with you.
[…] Posted by GruntDoc on August 9th, 2010 Last night, my friend died. […]
pam
13 years ago
Oh, death where is your victory? Oh death where is your sting?
I lost a dear friend after complications from heart surgery, and knowing that she is in the loving arms of a compassionate God is the best comfort. I’m glad you know that about your friend.
Thanks be to our God through our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.
Once I originally commented I clicked the -Notify me when new feedback are added- checkbox and now every time a comment is added I get four emails with the identical comment. Is there any manner you possibly can take away me from that service? Thanks!
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Thank you Dr. Leap for sharing your thoughts. Our prayers are with Dr. Leslie’s family and with his dear friends at the ER and in the community.
Respectfully,
Roger and Cindi Conrad
Edwin, thank you for sharing your friend and mentor…As you and I know he is in a better place, but you will miss him, my condolences
[…] Posted by GruntDoc on August 9th, 2010 Last night, my friend died. […]
Oh, death where is your victory? Oh death where is your sting?
I lost a dear friend after complications from heart surgery, and knowing that she is in the loving arms of a compassionate God is the best comfort. I’m glad you know that about your friend.
Thanks be to our God through our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.
[…] Leap is saying ‘see you later’ to a dear friend. Not goodbye, though, because he will see him again. We do not grieve as those who have no […]
Once I originally commented I clicked the -Notify me when new feedback are added- checkbox and now every time a comment is added I get four emails with the identical comment. Is there any manner you possibly can take away me from that service? Thanks!
That is the appropriate blog for anybody who wants to find out about this topic. You understand so much its nearly laborious to argue with you (not that I really would want…HaHa). You definitely put a new spin on a topic thats been written about for years. Great stuff, simply great!
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Such superb text! No idea how you managed to write this post..it’d take me weeks. Well worth it though, I’d suspect. Have you considered selling advertising space on your blog?
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