Danny was my best buddy when we lived on D Street, just around the corner from their unique home on 15th Street. I always wanted to climb up in that turret and look out the little windows ...
Danny was funny and energetic and unstoppable. We sang and laughed and created all sorts of silly games during our hours of playing together. I was a year ahead of him at Englewood Elementary, and I very proudly taught him how to write his name in cursive when he was still in 2nd grade. He had the same third grade teacher that I did, a wonderful woman named Mrs. Jackie Hider, and I was really glad he also got to be in her classroom because I adored her.
The last time I saw Danny was on my wedding day in 1988, when he was no longer my playmate, but now a grown-up named Dan. It was a blessing to see him again after so many years. Heaven is all the more wonderful now that it has Dan's magical smile and quirky sense of humor in its midst.
