Mr. McNeely,

I wish I had the honor of meeting you, sir. All I ever heard were truly wonderful stories about you. Your granddaughter truly loved and adored you. You were loved and admired by many. If I knew nothing else about you, that would suffice. You helped raise a truly wonderful, strong, intelligent, Godly young woman, and for that sir, I have to say thank you. She has been a friend to me for a while now, and she has been there when I needed someone. She loves people, she is caring, and she is kind. I have a feeling she had a great role model to follow. As her friend, I know she misses you. It comes and goes in waves she says, and I believe her. I know she is trying to be strong, but she misses you. She will always miss you, and that's okay. You have raised a fighter. As long as I have known Hannah Bennett, quitting or giving up has never been a part of her vocabulary, so for that, I thank you.

I know I cannot give you total credit for helping mold this young woman. I know that your granddaughter is a believer. She is a daughter of the King — your granddaughter loves the Lord with all her heart, and she is constantly growing in her walk. I know that must make your heart gleam with pride. I know you also became a believer before you left this earth, and I cannot tell you how happy that makes me to know that my friend can rest in knowing that you are in Heaven and that you are checking the architecture up there. Becoming a believer was probably the greatest decision you ever made, so for that, I thank you.

Thank you for loving my friend, and for being her trusted companion. I hope you know that your granddaughter is loved by so many. She is loved and adored by a truly wonderful man; this man wants to love and cherish her for the rest of his life. I honestly couldn't see any other man more deserving of your granddaughter than Benjamin Beam. He loves her, and would truly do anything for her. He truly has a heart of gold. He is the man that your granddaughter deserves.

I feel like I am writing to you like we were long-lost friends, and I am okay with that. I feel like on the day we do meet, we will be long-lost friends. I truly cannot wait for the day that you and your granddaughter to be reunited, but until that day, just know that your granddaughter is being taken care of. She has the love of her heavenly father, the love and admiration of the man of her dreams, the love and support of her family, and the love and comfort from her brother — me. There are so many great qualities that Hannah has that I believe are qualities you have bestowed upon her. She is truly an amazing woman. So for that, I thank you, my friend.

As I always say, it's not goodbye, it's see you later!

Your friend,

Hayden Montgomery

"For no one is cast off by the Lord forever. Though he brings grief, he will show compassion, so great is his unfailing love." — Lamentation 3:31-32