Awkward Kinship

I am one of those who worked with Jordan at Practica Learning, and who although we didn't know Jordan all that long nor particularly well, were impacted by him to an extent that was out of proportion to how long and how well we knew him.

I felt from early on a kind of awkward kinship with Jordan, which I didn't and don't fully understand, but which I gradually came to realize as having paternal feelings for him. I've since discovered that I wasn't the only one who felt that way.

In my case, I have three children about Jordan's age, and in particular a son almost exactly his age, who shares many character traits with Jordan. And the more I learned about Jordan's interests, and saw how he treated people, and sensed the level of integrity that he brought to every aspect of his life, the more I came to feel that I would have been very very proud to have him for a son.

So that became a little fantasy of mine, and I plan to keep it; it makes me feel good, and it's how I like to think of Jordan -- it's a kind of gift I was given by him, and given as I suspect he gave many of us gifts: without knowing it.