Gratitude Journal-Day 44: Marvin and Ingrid Clark

I met Marvin when I lived in Frankfurt in 1996. He was retired from USAF but had married a German woman and lived there.

He was a stock broker and I interned with Merrill Lynch, where he worked.

He befriended me, even going so far as to invite me to his home to watch the Cowboys-Steelers Super Bowl game from midnight to 4am at his home, with his wife, Ingrid.

I haven't seen Marvin or Ingrid since then, but I called him on his birthday, sent him the quarterly email update and, once a year, would get an Xmas letter from him and Ingrid.

It followed the same format...an analysis of global politics, an update on their travel destinations, and a few other smaller items.

I knew that Marvin had contracted Parkinson's, but this year's letter really hit me as it was the first one that Marvin couldn't write himself. Ingrid wrote it for him and in a straight up German style basically said "it was a rough year." But she kept her head up and was pragmatic at the same time.

It was sad as I realized I am probably not going to hear from Marvin directly again. 

So today, I am grateful for Marvin and Ingrid Clark, their friendship and their approach to life.