Forever in my heart!!! Breathe Easy my sweet cousin Mockingbird
Wednesday, December 31, 2008 | No Comments
This is Jarod’s eulogy and after seeing how many people in here he touched, I wanted to make sure I shared it with you all… I am sure my Uncle Mitch and Aunt Kathi would love to hear from any of you as far as how Jarod inspired so many with his humor and his wisom, their email is MKBULTHUIS@MSN.COM…
Thank you all,
Sarah Jean
Life is full of endless opportunities. Six simple words on the front of a lamented card stuck to Jarod’s bathroom mirror. These six simple words defined Jarod’s Philosophy in life. Jarod the kind caring man who loved God and came to serve in his name.
Jarod Mitchel Bulthuis was born in Wenatchee Washington on April 14, 1982 to Mitchel and Kathi Bulthuis. Born in the morning just as the sun kissed the horizon. His mother and father cried with joy over the sight of their beautiful baby boy.
Four months later Jarod was diagnosed with a genetic disorder called Cystic Fibrosis. CF was Jarod’s black cloud but he danced in the rain and sang in its shade. Sadly the day came when the music was too slow and his breath too short. He took his final rest on December 20, 2008 and was, “given wings so he could fly.” The bacteria in his lungs invaded his blood and he was not strong enough to win this battle. In the end a community cried at the loss of their beautiful baby boy.
Jarod started school in Wenatchee and East Wenatchee, Washington then Wells and Minden, Nevada where he graduated in June 2000. He went on to Oregon Coast Culinary Institute were he graduated in Food Management Services.
Jarod loved animals. When four he caught and named a ladybug, sweetie bug. Jarod did not want to harm his new pet so set her free. For weeks afterwards he would come home to share his sightings of sweetie bug and how she had come to visit. Jarod had other adventures with animals but his favorite was Smokey a black and tan Australian shepherd. Jarod and Smokey would play soccer for hours. The Doctors were amazed at how clean Jarod’s lungs were. We all attributed it to this play. He had a rat friend named Percilla who would sit on his shoulder for hours as he read his books. Like Wilber he had several pet spiders around the house that he fed and tended to. We had the fattest spiders in town. Dogs and cats were always following him home thankfully most of their owners were found.
He loved more than just animals. He always had a garden of plant life surrounding him. One year before the killing frost he hauled all the containerized plants into the house so he could keep them warm and healthy through the winter.
Jarod’s generosity extended to humans as well. After high school he became an EMT so he could help others. In 2002 he went to China to Inner Mongolia to teach English. He was so impressed he wanted to return as a missionary. He became a chef and cooked at Juniper Village assisted living facility. He created a web page to display his poems, and helped many others with CF on blogs and other formats. Most recently he joined the Corona Presbyterian Church and worked as a youth leader.
He gave all and really wanted to succeed. He loved life and was always looking for someone to play games. He would play four person Monoply by himself. He would stay up all night playing cribbage with his grandmother. He also enjoyed puzzles. You could not miss the puzzle pictures around his house. The harder the better.
Jarod was a quite man but he was also a man of words. He loved the written word and was a voracious reader, finding writing and poetry a suitable outlet for his thoughts and emotions. One friend mentioned, “Jarod is a deep and thoughtful person and when he said something it was significant.”
With the weight of CF he struggled for answers. Through growth he came to understand God and how to serve. He was a faithful and devoted young man. He loved the scriptures and studied for depth and understanding.
Through his search for God’s purpose in his life he wrote:
“I battled, believing life in the spoils
I fought, not knowing ’twas only death
now shall I kneel, forever so loyal
I feel your embrace, your eternal breath”
“It is my desire to follow my purpose from God. My time on earth is short, and soon I will leave it behind forever, but for now while I am waiting I can think of nothing better than to spread His light which He once spread to me.”
Serving, sharing in everything he did, the life of a humble young man touched us all.
