One of the things I miss most about Dale’s Supermarket is the opportunity to meet old friends. It seemed like everybody in Albion came together at Dales. On occasion, you would have to turn your shopping cart around in a hurry to avoid the town gossip, especially if you were in a hurry. Thankfully, that was the exception and not the rule.

There was one person I never ran from. His name was Joel Laubacher. There simply was no way you could run from his infectious smile. Joel always extended his hand in a way that made you feel good about shaking it. A few minutes with Joel made you feel good about yourself and restored your faith in humankind. Simply put, he was a great guy.

Joel was one of the first people I met when I moved to Albion. As fate would have it, my son wanted to play football in a year there were too many kids signed up in his age group. Rather than turn a bunch of kids away, Albion’s NOFA team decided to field two teams in Thom Juniors age group that year.

The second Albion team was made up of a group of kids that could easily be compared to the land of misfit toys from Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer. My kid was one of those misfits.

The first team practiced on the level part of Bullard Park. Joel’s team practiced the valley below. The "good" team looked like army cadets while Joel’s team looked like the Bad News Bears. Of course, the Bad New Bears elicited many smiles and boot camp is associated with misery. Joel was the perfect coach for these misfits.

The amazing thing about these misfits is that they never felt like they were losers even though they could not win a game. They were a team that played with a lot of heart. They were a reflection of their coach, they had a big heart and even if the scoreboard did not always reflect it, they were winners because Joel made them feel that way.

Joel Laubacher left a lasting impression on my kid. Joel also left a lasting impression me. He epitomized the expression that it is nice to be important but it is more important to be nice. Simply put again, he was a great guy. The kids he coached simply thought he was the greatest. They even forced parents to pull their cars onto the field and shine their headlights on it so they could practice longer.

Joel left us too soon. Evidently, God decided that he needed a smiling face in heaven and so he called Joel home before we were ready to let him go. Inasmuch as I want to cry, I cannot help but smile when I think of Joel, just as he smiled every time I saw him.

Although there is no good time to lose a loved one, the holiday season is a particularly difficult time to say goodbye. My heart goes out to all of Joel’s friends and relatives and I can assure you that you do not grieve alone.