I'M A RURAL MAIL CARRIER & JARRETT ALSO WORKED AS A CARRIER - A SUB.  WHILE OUT ON MY ROUTE, I HAVE TIME TO ''THINK'' & DECIDE ON WHICH ONE OF MY MEMORIES I WANT TO PUT ON HERE.

TODAY (1/29/2010) IN NORTHWEST GA. THEY ARE CALLING FOR SNOW.  WELL, IT HAS DONE JUST THAT.  IT BROUGHT BACK THE MEMORY OF US BEING AT OUR ''HARKER'' HOUSE AND THE BOYS WERE ''LITTLE'' BOYS. 

IT WAS THE FIRST SNOW FOR US IN OUR HARKER HOUSE.  WE STAYED UP DURING THE NIGHT TO WATCH IT.  WE HAD THIS LARGE PICTURE WINDOW IN THE LIVING ROOM & WE WERE ON THE COUCH - LEANING OVER THE TOP OF IT LOOKING OUT THE WINDOW.  WE WATCHED AS THE FIRE DEPT. WENT OUT & ABOUT DURING THE NIGHT TO CHECK THINGS OUT AND HELP PEOPLE.  THAT MAY HAVE BEEN THE START TO JARRETT WANTING TO BE A FIRE FIGHTER - I DON'T KNOW. 

THE NEXT MORNING, WE GOT THE BOYS DRESSED IN THEIR SNOWBIBS AND LET THEM PLAY.  WE BUILT SNOW ANIMALS IN THE YARD.  KENNY GOT DYE TO COLOR THE ANIMALS TO WHAT COLORED THEY WERE IN REAL LIFE.  WE HAD A TURTLE & A DRAGON.  THE BOYS LOVED IT.  THEY HAD FUN.  WE HAD FUN.  THOSE WERE THE DAYS.

JARRETT - I SURE DO WISH YOU WERE HERE.  IT HASN'T STOPPED SNOWING.  IT'S BEEN SNOWING FOR ABOUT 4 TO 5 HOURS NOW & YOU WOULD BE RIGHT THERE IN IT WITH YOUR DADDY.  HE JUST FILLED A TIRE TUBE UP AND IS HEADING OUTSIDE TO RIDE...DOWN THE HILL. 

MISS YOU ~ LOVE YOU MY JARRETT ~ ALWAYS  MAMA

I'VE THOUGHT & THOUGHT ABOUT WHETHER OR NOT I SHOULD PUT THIS MEMORY ON HERE.  WELL.....HERE GOES.  AS EVERY PARENT KNOWS - NOT EVERY CHILD IS SWEET & INNOCENT.  THIS MEMORY IS FROM JARRETT'S HIGH SCHOOL YEARS.  DUE TO THE WAY WE WORKED, THE BOYS HAD TO RIDE THE BUS TO & FROM SCHOOL.  I BELIEVE IT WAS JARRETT'S FRESHMAN YEAR IN SCHOOL, HE & HIS BROTHER WERE ON THE BUS & THE BUS DRIVER NOTICED THAT A FEW SCREWS WERE TAKEN OUT OF THE BACKS OF THE BUS SEATS.  HE WANTED TO KNOW WHO HAD DONE IT & OF COURSE - NO ONE WAS TELLING.  WELL, JARRETT SAID SOMETHING ''SMART-LIKE'' & THE BUS DRIVER PULLED HIM OFF THE BUS.  TOOK HIM TO THE OFFICE & THE ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL HAD A LITTLE TALK WITH HIM.  ON THEIR WAY BACK TO THE BUS, JARRETT DIDN'T LEAVE WELL ENOUGH ALONE...HE SAID SOMETHING ''SMART-LIKE'' - YET - AGAIN.  SO, THE BUS DRIVER TURNED AROUND & TOOK HIM BACK TO THE OFFICE.  THIS TIME - HE LEFT HIM THERE & JARRETT WAS OFFICIALLY "KICKED OFF" THE BUS.  THERE WAS A WEEK LEFT IN THE YEAR.  I JUST HAPPENED TO BE AWAKE (I WORKED 3RD) WHEN I GOT A PHONE CALL...FROM THE ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL - TELLING ME THAT JARRETT WAS KICKED OFF THE BUS & HE PROCEEDED TO TELL ME WHY & WHAT HAPPENED.  SO, I WENT IN OUR BEDROOM, LOOKED FOR THE WIDEST BELT THAT I COULD FIND, GOT IN MY CAR & WENT TO THE SCHOOL.  I PASSED KENNY ON THE WAY & MOTIONED FOR HIM TO FOLLOW ME.  HE DID.  WE GOT THERE & I GOT OUT OF MY CAR, SWINGING THAT BELT - LIKE A MAD WOMEN!  I WAS!  WE WERE TAKEN TO THE OFFICE TO WHERE JARRETT & THE ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL WERE WAITING & HE PRECEEDED TO TELL KENNY WHAT HAD HAPPENED & EXPLAINED TO US THAT RIDING THE SCHOOL BUS IS A PRIVELEDGE...THEY DO NOT HAVE TO PICK ANY KIDS UP.  PARENTS HAVE TO FIND A WAY TO GET THEIR KIDS TO & FROM SCHOOL.  SO, WHEN A KID ACTS UP - THEY CAN EASILY BE KICKED OFF.  TO WHICH - JARRETT NOW WAS:  KICKED OFF.  WE WERE IN A SMALL OFFICE WITH AN ADJOINING DOOR.  I ASKED WHERE THAT DOOR WENT.  HE SAID THAT IT WOULD JUST GO INTO ANOTHER OFFICE.  BUT, THERE WOULD BE ANOTHER DOOR IN THERE TO LEAD OUT TO THE HALLWAY.  SO, I TOLD HIM TO GET HIS BOOKBAG, HEAD OUT THE DOOR(S) & I STOPPED HIM.  I GOT THAT BELT OUT AND TORN HIS BUTT UP!  I COULDN'T TELL YOU HOW MANY TIMES I WHIPPED HIM.  TOLD HIM TO GET HIS BOOKBAG, PUT IT ON &  START WALKING!  HE WALKED ALL THE WAY HOME!  I FOLLOWED BEHIND HIM WITH MY FLASHERS ON.  HE WALKED THE ''LONG'' WAY HOME.  MOST PEOPLE WOULD SAY THAT WE LIVED: A HOP, SKIP & JUMP AWAY FROM THE SCHOOL.  BUT ON THAT DAY... IT WASN'T A HOP, SKIP OR JUMP AWAY.  JARRETT HAD TO WALK DOWN A 4 LANE DIVIDED HIGHWAY, THEN A 2 LANE - IN BUTT HIGH GRASS!  BY THE TIME HE GOT HOME, HE FOUND TICKS ON HIM & HE COULD TELL YOU HOW LONG IT TOOK HIM & HOW MANY MILES IT WAS.  FOR HIS PUNISHMENT, HE HAD TO FIND HIS OWN WAY TO SCHOOL.  HE STARTED OUT - WITH RIDING HIS BIKE.  HE GOT A FRIEND WHO WAS ALREADY DRIVING AT THE TIME TO STOP & PICK HIM & HIS BIKE UP.  IF I HAD TO TAKE HIM - HE HAD TO PAY ME GAS MONEY.  COME TO FIND OUT- A SCHOOL TEACHER HAD SEEN THE WHOLE THING.  WE WERE THE TALK OF THE SCHOOL THE NEXT DAY.  SHE SAID THAT IF MORE PARENTS WERE LIKE ME - THEY WOULDN'T HAVE THE PROBLEMS IN THE SCHOOLS & WITH THE KIDS.  WHAT JARRETT DIDN'T KNOW THEN OR EVEN UP TO HIS PASSING ~ WAS THAT I SAVED THE MONEY THAT HE HAD TO PAY ME FOR GAS AND WROTE IT DOWN ON PAPER & PUT IT IN HIS BABY BOOK SO HE WOULD HAVE IT WHEN HE MOVED OUT & STARTED HIS OWN FAMILY.  I WOULD BE ABLE TO SHARE THAT WITH HIM...THEN.  WE WON'T BE ABLE TO DO THAT - NOW.  I STILL HAVE THAT LETTER & HIS MONEY.  IT HAPPENED ON MAY 20TH, 1999.  IT COST JARRETT $30.00.  IT TOOK HIM 1HR. 42 MINUTES TO WALK THE 5 MILES - HOME.  MY LAST WORDS ON THE PAPER THAT I WROTE TO JARRETT WERE:  HOPEFULLY WHEN HE HAS HIS OWN KIDS HE'LL UNDERSTAND JUST WHY WE HAD TO STAND BY OUR PUNISHMENT...BECAUSE WE LOVE YOU & CARE ABOUT YOU & WHAT YOU DO....LOVE YOU, MAMA & DADDY    ~~ ON THE INSIDE OF THE ENVELOPE FLAP...I WROTE: YOU CAN KEEP OR SPEND THE MONEY - WHICHEVER YOU CHOOSE.   

     I MISS YOU JARRETT~ WITH LOVE ALWAYS ~ MAMA

    OH ~ HOW I WISH YOU WERE HERE!

I think the memory of Jarrett and I that sticks out the best for me was a day towards the end of our senior year.  Jarrett and I were just hanging out and we ended up at his parent's house.  Him and I were talking to his parents and watching t.v. on the couch, but we were both beat.  We ended up falling asleep on the couch next to each other for a few hours.  I remember waking up with my head on his shoulder just comfortable and content being right beside my best friend.  May not mean much to most, but for me.... that was just who Jarrett is to me.  He's my comfort, my confidant, and my best friend.  Always will be.  I wish there were endless days of sitting on that couch and watching television until we fell asleep!

JARRETT HELPED TO RAISE TYLER.  YOU WILL NOTICE THAT I SIGN MY NAME AND THEN PUT : J-MAMA.  KENNY IS KNOWN AS J-DADDY.

ONE DAY WHEN WE ALL HAD GONE DOWN TO ALABAMA TO ENJOY THE WEEKEND ON THE LAKE, JARRETT HAD BROUGHT TYLER WITH HIM.  EVERY TIME THAT TYLER WANTED TO ASK US SOMETHING - HE WOULD SAY:  JARRETT'S MAMA OR JARRETT'S DADDY...HE DIDN'T SAY OUR NAME.  SO, TO HELP HIM OUT - WE THOUGHT THAT IT WOULD BE EASIER FOR HIM TO SHORTEN IT A LITTLE.  SO, WE ASKED IF HE COULD JUST SAY J-MAMA OR J-DADDY AND IT WOULD STILL MEAN THE SAME THING...ONLY A SHORTER VERSION.  HE SAID IT - OVER AND OVER (PRACTICING) AND SO, THAT'S HOW WE BECAME J-MAMA & J-DADDY.  

ONE OF THE FIRST MEMORIES OF JARRETT WAS AFTER WE HAD PURCHASED OUR FIRST HOUSE.  THE BOYS (JARRETT & SEAN-HIS YOUNGER BROTHER) WERE PROBABLY 5 & 4 YRS. OLD.  IT WAS STARTING TO GET COLD OUT - AND THAT'S WHEN THE RODANTS MAKE THEIR WAY IN.  WELL, AFTER SEVERAL ATTEMPTS TO CATCH THE FIELDRAT, THEIR DADDY PUT SOME PEANUT BUTTER ON THE TRAP AND PLACED IT UNDER THE HOUSE.  KENNY WOULD CHECK IT EVERY DAY.  I WAS INSIDE, KENNY & THE BOYS WERE OUTSIDE.  KENNY CHECKED THE TRAP AND CAUGHT THE RAT.  THOUGH - THAT WASN'T WHAT HE SAID.  KENNY'S WORDS WERE:  CAUGHT THAT S.O.B.(HE SAID IT ALL)...JARRETT CAME RUNNING IN THE HOUSE AND TOLD ME THAT DADDY CAUGHT THAT SON OF A .......... ~I WENT OUTSIDE AND ASKED KENNY WHAT HE SAID.  HE ASKED ME WHAT JARRETT SAID.  I TOLD HIM THAT JARRETT SAID THAT YOU CAUGHT THAT SON OF A ............... ~ HE SAID: THAT'S WHAT I SAID.  SO, AT THE YOUNG AGE OF 5...JARRETT SAID HIS FIRST CUSS WORDS ~ THANKS TO HIS DADDY.

YOU KNOW THAT AT THAT AGE - THEY REALLY DON'T UNDERSTAND WHAT THEY ARE SAYING.  IT WAS FUNNY HOW HE CAME RUNNING IN THE HOUSE TO TELL ME.  HE WAS HAPPY THAT HIS DADDY FINALLY CAUGHT THE FIELDRAT.  (ME TOO )