Erik - more stories

A few weeks ago I sent a question to some of our family members asking "What do you like about Erik?"  I received the response below from Rachel, who married our step-brother, Chris.   She's known Erik a long time and her beautiful answer was a little trip down memory lane.  Thank you Rachel.

"What do you like about Erik?"

I love Erik because he has such a sweet, gentle child-like nature.  I don't think he has a mean bone in his body. He always has a beautiful smile on his face.  I remember when I first started dating Chris...Erik liked Bernadette! (Erik's long-time girlfriend)  EVERY time I would see him he would pull out his wallet and show me a picture of Bernadette and I got to hear stories about her.  He made ME feel important because he was sharing with me.  Chris, Ashley and I had so many good laughs and good times with Erik.  

I also remember when he lived with that lady for a while....there was the coke money saga.  Erik would spend his weekly money on diet coke and he wasn't supposed to. I remember your dad would give him envelopes with his weekly money in it.  I can't tell you how MANY I would hear your dad on the phone with Erik in the middle of the week and he was out of money.  Remember when the lady he was living with said Erik wasn't changing his underwear? That was a whole ordeal! (well, unfortunately we're still dealing with this one)  CUTE stories!

But, the best one of all is when my dad had surgery at Baylor (hospital where Erik worked.  Read about it here).  My mom and I were in the waiting room and Erik frequented the hallway near the waiting room.  He was like a celebrity!  SO many people knew him and you could tell they thought so highly of him.  I bet I heard 30-40 "hello Erik's!"  I wanted to tell the whole world that he was family.  

Erik is just a one of a kind person.  Even Lexie (our dad's dog) finds gentleness and something special in Erik.  She chooses Erik's lap over most others.  The last time I saw Erik at Christmas, most times Lexi was curled up in Erik's lap!  

This makes me smile. Erik does have a way with animals.  Erik and dogs seem to communicate love and acceptance to each other without words.  

And, oh my, Erik and his sodas - tread carefully, that's dangerous territory.   He'd finish work and that would be his reward.  He'd day "Dad told me - drink diet!" then he'd pat his belly and say, "cuz, you know".