It is not easy for me to write this story under the current circumstances. The story with my brotherhood Sam Barnard is a very special story. A story that is so endeared to my heart. If write a long story, I apologize. Sam is my brotherhood and my closest friend. We had shared memories for so long. It all started a Monday night. I had cell group at the house. I was recently married to my gorgeous wife. This was probably around the end of August. If I remember correctly, it was August 30, 2004. The reason I remember is because Sam was not too happy to attend a bible group with guys he had never met on Monday Night Football when the Cowboys were playing. Yet, he went to cell group. One thing I can tell you about Sam is his always present smile. There is no way you would not like Sam the moment you met him. He is a genuine gentleman. He was always making things easier for others; and it was not to “fit in”, that is Sam, a superb human being. After a few weeks, I knew Sam was going to be a long-life friend. We had so many things in common, yet, as Sam put it one day: “You could be the perfect friend to me, but there is one problem: you hate the Cowboys.” Of all things we have in common, that was a big thing for him. He loves the Cowboys with a passion. We are both passionate when it comes to the Cowboys; the difference is an antonym: Love/Hate. Sam is one of the coolest guys I have met in my life. It is very easy to love him. He is caring and understanding. He is a good friend, a teacher, a confidant, simply the type of person every man should strive to become. It just came natural in him to be that way. All of it thanks to his parents and his family; it is all in the genes. The Barnard/Batsell family is family to me. They are a family with the highest integrity, a family that I so admire and love, a God-fearing family, a family that welcomed me and my family into their lives. Sam loves his family, GOLF, fishing, hunting, playing cards, video games, playing the piano, among many other things….oh, and Starbucks, and every Apple gadget. The first time Sam took me fishing it was a great time. His father and faith also went fishing. Sam and I were on Uncle Barry’s boat “Hope it floats”. We went to the house they had in Port Mansfield. It was always fun going fishing with him. Sometimes we would spend the night in Port Mansfield, the four of us. I am eternally grateful to Sam for having the patience to teach me to golf; or at least try to golf. It was such an experience. I considered Sam my golf partner. I love playing golf with him. It was incredible the extent he went to, to teach me to golf. He would lay flat on the ground to hold my foot down to the ground. Well, sometimes it was like baseball in the golf course. Not because of my swings, but because sometimes you would see clubs being thrown around hahaha . That was Sam when he had a bad drive or a bad shot. He would get upset for a mistake. He told me once, “Don’t ever get good at golf because you will get this upset when you have a bad shot”. My brotherhood is very competitive. Sam was there for my first birdie. A par 3, hole 13 at the Brownsville Country Club. Sam was as excited as I was that I had my first birdie. One of the things that Sam and Jen learned from my wife and I was a card game called Continental. We spent countless nights and weekends playing cards just the four of us. We spent a good 7 years in constant fellowship eating taquitos and piratas. He became an usher when I was the Head Usher at church. We became parents at the same time of two boxers, Lucca and Dakota. Of course, when they broke the news to us that Dakota was going to be a big sister, we were very happy for them. I had been calling him “papa” for years before he became a dad. Probably the most awkward moment was when I asked him to go to the movies. Our wives were doing something else so to the movies we went. I decided to see a movie that I thought would be cool at the moment: “She is the Man” which I did not know was a chick flick. There we were, two guys at the movies watching a chick flick. LOL!!!! My family in Mexico loves Sam. Sam and Jennifer went with my wife and me to Cd. Victoria. It was my first time in my hometown in about 11 years. We had a great time and he got to see where I grew up as a child. He is part of the Buentello family. I could go on and on with countless stories. I just want to share a little bit of how special our friendship is and what Sam and Jen mean to us. I love Sam and Jen and it is so much fun to be around them. He is a great husband, a great dad, an awesome son, the perfect brother, but specially a God-fearing man that honors and loves the Lord. He is a great example of a Christian man. Love you papa!
Posted on: Tue, 27 Jan 2015 12:35:33 +0000
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