My Friend Who Was My Mentor

Although difficult to recognize sometimes, we all have individuals who enter our lives and by some miracle also end up mentoring us in some way we would never have imagined. These blessings we call friends help us to acquire traits, learn talents, and gain insight and knowledge without our even realizing what is occurring. They inspire us to become better thru example and encouragement. And if one ever needed a mentor in kindness, charity, or giving, or if one wondered what a mentor looked like who specialized in showing us how to find something admirable in any person, you could not find a better illustration of this than Ed Hood.

I don’t recall a single time or encounter with Ed that he didn’t have some heartfelt, genuine, and wonderful (although usually undeserved) compliment or words of encouragement to give me. Truly most compliments were not as accurate as I would have liked, but Ed always believed them and his belief in what I could be or how God saw me, made me want to acquire that characteristic or improve upon the trait he claimed I possessed. Heck, he was convinced and even had me convinced that I could actually play golf halfway decent. And I am only one of hundreds of people Ed gave affirmation to on a regular basis. I am not a particularly talented or remarkable person, but Ed always made me want to be better…because HE saw me that way. And I know there are numerous others who feel this same way about Ed.

My friend, Edward Clegg Hood, passed away last night after a heroic effort and struggle to stave off the effects of what I have to believe was a heart that worked so hard to serve and love others, that it couldn’t perform the task of keeping him alive and healthy. He fought on valiantly to the end, but when he knew the fight was going badly and the end was near, he didn’t shirk the next path he had to take. Instead he had to help convince those of us who wished him to remain with us that it was indeed time for him to move on to the next phase of his journey.

Even up until the last hour or so of his life, Ed continued to bestow his gracious words. The evening he died, he spent several minutes telling his nephew how thoughtful he was to send cards and art to him. He did so even when he had to pause and gasp for air between words he could barely whisper. And if you had seen him saying it, you would have known he meant it. You knew Ed believed it. And even more, his nephew knew Ed believed it. Sincerity and humility with a great sense of humor is how I remember him.

Watching Ed’s health significantly decline over the past six months, I have selfishly tried to come up with reasons why Ed should linger with us longer. They all had to do with things I still needed to learn from him, but alas Ed did not need to learn anything thing else. He got it. “You will never regret being too kind or too generous.” Although he never uttered these words to me, he must have taught me this lesson at least a hundred times. That applied to money, time and praise equally for Ed.

I have serious doubts that I will ever become the man Ed long “accused” me of being, but his faith in the talents and goodness in everyone and his encouraging words have inspired me to at least try to live up to the things he has always told me I am. And even when I end up falling short of the mark, somehow I don’t think Ed will change his opinion.

The best thing about knowing Ed was being able to see the face of God in another. And it gives me great hope to know that someone who must be even more kind and more generous than Ed will be the one judging me and standing as my advocate before the Father.

I want to tell Ed thanks once again for giving me encouragement, hope, and inspiration, but I won’t be able to talk to him again for a while. Ed, you are already missed, but there is still more I will learn from you. At least I was one of the fortunate few on this earth who knew you.

Your Friend Always,

Travis





"Gifts from Ed”


You read a poem for Dolly
The first time I met you.
And down the Provo River
We rode in your canoe.

As you nurtured friendship
The more you tried to give
I started to take notice
Yours was a life well lived

A bounty of wealth given
In this our short sojourn
Kindness, love, encouragement
From you, these lessons learned

Of all the gifts imparted
Before your life was thru
The one I’ve cherished most my friend
Is the blessing I call “You”



-Travis Slade





Favorite Memories of Ed (there aren’t enough)
And Things I Will Miss Most


The way he always greeted me with “T-Rav!”
Reading a poem for Dolly after her wedding.
Rafting the Provo River
Riding in his RV and selling his cars for him
Golf- practice at “Golf in the Round”
Golf- Ed eagled the 18th hole at “The Meadows. 320 yard drive to the green, 5 foot putt
Golf- Bountiful Ridge proclaimed by Ed to be “the most beautiful course”
BYU football games
Celebrating his 2008 birthday
All of his compliments and kind words
Him giving $1,000 to Claudio Seringnett
Visiting the water falls in Gadsden AL
Touring Alabama to see ancestral towns and graves
Eating lunch in Gadsden
Our last lunch at “The Cheesecake Factory” July 2008
Watching the Freedom Fest Parade July 4th 2008
Every bright smile and genuine happiness for my joys
Watching him give out compliments during his last hours
Our last golf outing in Orem UT
Our last conversations July 26, and 28th 2008
His personal libralism and public conservativism
Corpus Christi Texas Feb 2007 touring the “Midway”
His gratitude
Watching him with Micah
Watching him encourage and befriend all kids
His laugh and smile
Chatting on TBS and about TBS
Talking BYU football
Talking church history and Pioneer stories
Jazz playoff game 2008
Just sitting and talking
His integrity
His sincerity
His humility
His charity
His loyalty
His sense of humor thru the good times and the bad times
His will to put up the good fight
The way he said “Incredible!” or “Fantastic!”