Last week, a text arrived from an old friend. “Thank you for your forgiveness,” it began.

Radical change doesn’t always happen in a flash. It can arrive as a whisper, dropping hints over the years of something new to come.

When I was in college, I studied in Spain for a year. Arriving back on campus, I needed a place to live. Luckily, one of my besties from high school offered me space in her apartment, along with three of her friends.

Rex had a good heart.

Physically, sure: Strong and young, he was on the high school track team and could run and run. Boundless energy, that kid.

But my nephew’s heart was more than just strong; it was good. Rex was compassionate and liked helping people.