Saying Goodbye

Every once in a while someone comes into your life who just fits. They quietly go about serving others and humbly living their life. They make deep impressions on people and change their lives forever. That's what our friend did for us. He was one of those guys that had a deep, hearty laugh and could flip your heart and make you smile and feel welcome in seconds. He had a love of cars from an early age and spent almost all of his waking hours thinking of taking one apart or building another. He loved wreckers and after a time serving in the military one of the  first things he bought was a wrecker. He even built one homemade! He was the greatest friend to my husband. When I was broke down on the highway, he was first to come to my rescue even though he was much worse off than I. Loaded my van up on his trailer, found me a ride and for all my kids and car seats and tried to solve it for me, all while recovering from chemo. Then came by unannounced with his wonderful wife and left me a vehicle to drive until my husband could fix ours. He never raised his voice in anger. He just took everything in stride, and figured it out. We spent hours at their kitchen table as he taught us in his sweet, unassuming way. He let you know when he thought you  weren't doing something right, but loved you still. He shared all he had, he loved with honor and was a blessing to many. I know I have witnessed the worry lines in my husband's face lessen and his face light up  just speaking with him on the phone. Sitting at his kitchen table and working in his garage alongside him, shooting the breeze and solving the problems of the  day freed both of them. They had  a friendship that cannot be duplicated. It was built on admiration, respect and  love. We are going to miss him forever until that great day when we will all be reunited and know each other again. I am so grateful for the  knowledge of the gospel, that great plan of happiness, that reaches over the chasms of pain and suffering in this life and spreads forth the blessings of peace and knowledge of a better place and know that we can all be reunited and that the associations that we have now extend beyond the grave and will exist forever. It is indeed a great day to look forward to. Being reunited with those we love, that weren't in our family but made the biggest differences and might as well have been. What a Father we have to have thought of everything and prepared His plan to encompass every detail that He knew would be important to each of us, because of His great love.