I will always remember Jim for his kindness, grace and generosity. So many of the many blessings I have today I owe to Jim for giving me a chance over five years ago.I remember I was still working in fine dining and *hating* it - even though when I was in sober living, a job in fine dining is what I thought I needed to "get my life back in order" and to pay off my amends. Well, God sure gave me what I asked for.It just so happened that one day, I was at a pool party for a friend in recovery, dressed in a shirt and tie for my restaurant job while everyone else was lounging in their bathing suits,  and I met someone in this mysterious business called "logistics".  In fact, this person had just left the restaurant I was at for a job in this logistics industry.I didn't and don't have a degree - something I let keep me stuck for most of my adult life. I thought the only way I could ever make enough money to pay off my amends and get back on my feet was to work in fine dining - an industry I had grown to dislike.

Much to my delight, I found out that there were people working in logistics that were making a very good living - many of them without degrees... what news this was to me!I continued to ask many questions about this new, curious job in logistics and I found out that the co-owner of this blessed logistics company was also sponsoring a friend who just happened to be in the same sober living I was in. I ran up to my friend and practically begged him for his sponsor's name and number. Turns out – my friend's sponsor was none other than Jim Rikard.I called Jim on the way to work, left a message and waited (not-so-patiently) for a call back. I remember very clearly the day Jim called me. I was driving when he called and nearly drove off the road when I saw "Jim Rikard" appear on my caller ID. One thing led to another, and the next thing I knew, I was employed at Expedited Transport.During my tenure at Expedited Transport, I, perhaps haphazardly, started a sober living with my former sponsor. Of course, this took a lot of time and effort. I remember one day Jim brought me into his office - I thought I was in trouble for letting my sober living director duties interfere with my Expedited Transport duties. Instead, Jim told me he was proud of me for what I was doing and wrote our sober living a generous check to help us out.Today, I'm happy, joyous and free; I've gotten married and bought a house (two things I never thought would ever be possible for someone like me). I love what I do and I love the people I work with. And none of this would be possible without the love and care that Jim had for people like me - someone lost and new, just starting out in the world of sobriety. So, while Jim may be in heaven, his legacy on earth lives on strong... and I am eternally grateful for the impact he had on this world and for the life-changing chance he gave me over five years ago.