July 30th, 2000. The day Stephen asked me this life altering question. It was a decision made in my youth that changed the trajectory of my life completely.

July 30th, 2019. My parents took me and the kids to the hot springs for a much needed break for a few days. The day started with a little hike to see a “monster truck” which my dad wanted the boys to see. Emblazed on the machine were the numbers “08.” The number 8 is Stephen’s go to jersey number whenever he played basketball. During our lunch break at A&W, the staff were wearing shirts with “August 22” on their backs – August 22 is our wedding anniversary. Later that day the during an emergency bathroom break for the kids, I noticed the numbers “08” again randomly placed on a door in the gas station we stopped at.

Needless to say, the sudden appearance of these meaningful numbers were quite a shock. For a man who seemed to forget a lot of the small dates, it was as if Stephen was sending a little “Happy Anniversary” from beyond this life.