Jay's letter to the editor in the Stowe Reporter
To the Editor:
An open letter to the Stowe community:
Wow, I just donâ??t know what to say or where to begin. The love, prayers, thoughts and support of my family and friends over the last six months of this challenging detour in my life has been unmatched. I thank you all and I am forever grateful.
Saturday nightâ??s gathering at the Matterhorn is one that I will never forget. It is so good to finally be home and to have had the opportunity to see so many of you. For those of you I missed, thanks for being there and we will catch up soon.
People have said to me that this is a tribute or a measure of who you are. I believe this was a tribute to all of you and a measure of the company a man keeps. This was a tribute to friends old and new, to family and, most important, community. Saturday evening was a testament that it takes each of us to make a difference for all of us. This is why I live here.
My dad brought me here to Stowe over 40 years ago and it was from that time on I considered Stowe home.
As a 10-year-old kid, my playground was the caves in Smugglersâ?? Notch, Bingham Falls, hiking the Mansfield ridge, Sterling Pond, afternoons at the Trout Club, swimming at the covered bridge, night skiing at Marshal Hill or hanging out at the old Lookout shelter on Big Spruce and ripping laps on Smugglers with my buddy John Morrissey, always in his dust. The memories go on and on. These are the years that set my foundation.
After moving to New York in the 1970s and spending four years in Boston and various locations around the country, I would make many trips back to Stowe, because it was home. Finally I came back for good in 1983 and it is a night like Saturday that makes it quite clear why.
Saturday evening was a tribute not just to me but to this community and to all my friends and family from near and far, many of whom could not make it but were here in spirit. Kristen and I thank each and all.
I especially want to thank Lee Genung, who orchestrated this event; youâ??re an angel. Tese Ziminisky, Sandy Huber, Meg Kauffmann, Kim Fisher, Tim and Erica Bryan for all their time and tremendous effort in putting this event together and making it such a huge success. To all the local businesses and individuals who donated so many wonderful items, again reinforcing what a great community we live in. Charlie and Louise Shaffer and the Matterhorn staff for hosting this event. To my family, my mom, dad, brothers Tim and Rob, sister Ann, and sons Mack, Will and Ryan, who were all there every step of the way. To Kristenâ??s parents Tom and Jan, sister Karen and sister Kathy, husband Alan who with their sons Jake and Matthew took such great care of Mack. To the Stowe Co-op and all the families who were always there for Mack, Kristen and me. Thanks to the employees of Eastern Painting, especially Steve Farrow and Jim Hallacker. To David Oâ??Rourke for transportation and spending time with me in at the hospital. To my oldest and dearest friend, John Morrissey, and his family, whose support goes beyond friendship.
There are two people I will never be able to thank enough. My good friend Mike Colbourn, who spent countless days and nights with me, drove me to the hospital, was an advocate to my doctors and always said the right things at the right times. You were on the front line with me and never retreated.
And my brother Tim, who was there through all of this, always keeping me positive. He spent weeks of long nights helping me through the roughest part of this battle and countless hours at the hospital and, along with Lee Genung, was the organizer of Saturday nightâ??s event. Thanks for believing in me when I was doubting myself.
Finally, to my loving wife, Kristen, and son Mack who have gone through so much upheaval throughout the last six months, juggling a busy work schedule, never-ending doctorsâ?? appointments and for staying so strong and positive throughout. Kristen, you have been my partner and coach. You looked at me and said, â??This is what you have, this is what we have to do, this is how we are going to do it and this is when we are going to get there.â?? You have simplified all the complexity. I love you.
This challenge has allowed me to learn from the past, plan for the future and live in the moment. Saturday night will stay with me forever. On behalf of Kristen, Mack and me, thank you and God bless you all.
Jay Bowen
StoweÂ
An open letter to the Stowe community:
Wow, I just donâ??t know what to say or where to begin. The love, prayers, thoughts and support of my family and friends over the last six months of this challenging detour in my life has been unmatched. I thank you all and I am forever grateful.
Saturday nightâ??s gathering at the Matterhorn is one that I will never forget. It is so good to finally be home and to have had the opportunity to see so many of you. For those of you I missed, thanks for being there and we will catch up soon.
People have said to me that this is a tribute or a measure of who you are. I believe this was a tribute to all of you and a measure of the company a man keeps. This was a tribute to friends old and new, to family and, most important, community. Saturday evening was a testament that it takes each of us to make a difference for all of us. This is why I live here.
My dad brought me here to Stowe over 40 years ago and it was from that time on I considered Stowe home.
As a 10-year-old kid, my playground was the caves in Smugglersâ?? Notch, Bingham Falls, hiking the Mansfield ridge, Sterling Pond, afternoons at the Trout Club, swimming at the covered bridge, night skiing at Marshal Hill or hanging out at the old Lookout shelter on Big Spruce and ripping laps on Smugglers with my buddy John Morrissey, always in his dust. The memories go on and on. These are the years that set my foundation.
After moving to New York in the 1970s and spending four years in Boston and various locations around the country, I would make many trips back to Stowe, because it was home. Finally I came back for good in 1983 and it is a night like Saturday that makes it quite clear why.
Saturday evening was a tribute not just to me but to this community and to all my friends and family from near and far, many of whom could not make it but were here in spirit. Kristen and I thank each and all.
I especially want to thank Lee Genung, who orchestrated this event; youâ??re an angel. Tese Ziminisky, Sandy Huber, Meg Kauffmann, Kim Fisher, Tim and Erica Bryan for all their time and tremendous effort in putting this event together and making it such a huge success. To all the local businesses and individuals who donated so many wonderful items, again reinforcing what a great community we live in. Charlie and Louise Shaffer and the Matterhorn staff for hosting this event. To my family, my mom, dad, brothers Tim and Rob, sister Ann, and sons Mack, Will and Ryan, who were all there every step of the way. To Kristenâ??s parents Tom and Jan, sister Karen and sister Kathy, husband Alan who with their sons Jake and Matthew took such great care of Mack. To the Stowe Co-op and all the families who were always there for Mack, Kristen and me. Thanks to the employees of Eastern Painting, especially Steve Farrow and Jim Hallacker. To David Oâ??Rourke for transportation and spending time with me in at the hospital. To my oldest and dearest friend, John Morrissey, and his family, whose support goes beyond friendship.
There are two people I will never be able to thank enough. My good friend Mike Colbourn, who spent countless days and nights with me, drove me to the hospital, was an advocate to my doctors and always said the right things at the right times. You were on the front line with me and never retreated.
And my brother Tim, who was there through all of this, always keeping me positive. He spent weeks of long nights helping me through the roughest part of this battle and countless hours at the hospital and, along with Lee Genung, was the organizer of Saturday nightâ??s event. Thanks for believing in me when I was doubting myself.
Finally, to my loving wife, Kristen, and son Mack who have gone through so much upheaval throughout the last six months, juggling a busy work schedule, never-ending doctorsâ?? appointments and for staying so strong and positive throughout. Kristen, you have been my partner and coach. You looked at me and said, â??This is what you have, this is what we have to do, this is how we are going to do it and this is when we are going to get there.â?? You have simplified all the complexity. I love you.
This challenge has allowed me to learn from the past, plan for the future and live in the moment. Saturday night will stay with me forever. On behalf of Kristen, Mack and me, thank you and God bless you all.
Jay Bowen
StoweÂ
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