Cheers To A Good Friend

I am a few weeks behind on my blog and have a lot to catch you up on, but I have decided to talk about a great friend today. 

On the weekend I got the news that my wonderful friend Aaron Whalen had passed away.  A character of such humour and honesty, always looking for a good time and putting smiles on faces every time he walked through a door.

Over the years Aaron has been the life of many parties, but I will always remember the first time I met him.  I was 15 on a road tour that led us to the hunting camp.  I walked in to see this guy singing along with the fish above the doorway saying "take me to the river, drop put me in the water"! Did I mention that he was naked?

There are so many Aaron stories that we all know and love. From biking down the hunting camp stairs to cannonballing on the hood of his truck at Havelock, the laughs are endless. 

I was fortunate enough to spend some time with Lindsey and Aaron during their recent trip to New Zealand.  I had never met Lindsey before, but our friendship quickly grew over a few gin and sodas and I knew instantly that she was perfect for Aaron.

We spent the weekend camping in the middle of nowhere, but I'm sure the laughter of 12 people echoed from miles away.   Aaron was in true Whalen form and landed the catch phrase of the weekend. 

Sitting around the fire, our New Zealand friends were trying to explain a drinking game. The game starts off when one person says "ship came into the harbour carrying" and you say the topic.  Each person in the circle has to list a brand within that topic.  Well at one point it was 'makeup' and when it came to Aarons turn he yelled out "Whalen all over your face"! It was hilarious and had the entire group in stitches.

We all have our own Aaron story that we will turn to on days like today when we are sad.  A story full of laughs, quick wit and a cowboy hat to boot.  He was a great friend and will be missed by many.  Until we meet again, cheers to you my friend xxoo