in an earlier journal entry, i said "we knew everything about each other." i was wrong. to think we know everything about another person is naive. albeit comforting. since his death, i have spoken with people who knew carter at all stages of his life. and they have each taught me something i did not know about him. this is a gift, and brings me the only comfort i have found since losing my friend. so all i can do now is learn from this. every day has brought me another lesson. today's lesson: you can never know everything about a person. we're not designed that way. and this is good. god thought ahead. in the search for comfort and connection to those we lose, we find it in others. people who are still alive. people who can help us put the pieces together. every life is a marvelous multi-dimensional puzzle. one day, i'll see carter again. and he will share a few more pieces of his own life puzzle with me. i can hardly wait.