my little buddy

Randy Stucki

The best fishing trip yet!

Often we don't realize the rare privilege it is to associate with fine people until long after they are gone. On occasion, however, we have the good sense to realize the gift before us and take the opportunity to enjoy it for all it's worth.

For me, it wasn't wisdom or good fortune or luck that helped me recognize this opportunity. It was all about fun.

My niece posted a picture of her father recently. And for me, it brought back such a flood of memories of cherished times and special experiences that I was motivated to write this post about my brother, Randy.

Where do I start? It began for me when I was very young. Randy seemed to have the best friends, the coolest comrades, and the most fun-loving attitude about being outdoors. As a little brother, I admired those things about him and relished every minute I could steal his attention from his many other activities. And perhaps best of all, he let me be part of his life and enjoy the moments: fishing, hunting, raising dogs together, and memorable late night games. He enjoyed being with me, and of course, I relished being with him. 

Randy is 5 years my senior, and during one's youth that is a significant difference. But it didn't seem to matter to Randy, and I loved that about him. He made me feel important, significant, and worthwhile. He still does. And that's why for me Randy has always been easy-to-love.

We used to play a favorite late-night game: Make me laugh. This usually started spontaneously in the kitchen. We were poking around looking for a late night snack, and we would start making cookies or rummaging through the leftovers in the fridge. Sometimes one of us was slow to get the dishes done, so the night wore on until a few of us brothers were sitting around the table. Randy would say "I'll bet I can make you laugh." There is no way he could make us laugh because we were already ornery that we had to finish the dishes for a large family of eight children, and we told him so. But moments later he had us in stitches. We were rolling with laughter. But, of course, after regaining our composure we claimed that it was a fluke, and he could not make it happen again. His antics and imitations and side-splitting humor got even more bazaar and hysterical until we begged him to stop.

And that was just the beginning of the great times we all had with Randy...

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