You and I go back more years than I care to remember. Back then, we were young and thought we could do anything. And, you know what? We can do anything, only today we can do anything a little better than we used to.
But truly, you have graced my life as a friend of over 40 years and a fellow musician, and you have made your corner of this poor beleaguered world a more beautiful place just because you were there. You had the vision, the ability, and the drive to make it so.
Retired? You'll never be "retired" any more than I will. There's too much life to be lived yet.