Remembering

I heard disturbing news today…My oldest son called and said that “our neighbor our friend has passed on”…he had only been diagnosed a few weeks ago. He had received the kind of news in which you know the Lord  is simply calling you home

He was a man of great integrity and had worked hard to keep his family heritage. He was young yet in his years, only mid 60’s.
It is so difficult to think of not be able to live long enough to see the grandchildren you so dearly love grow up.

But I can relate to the fact that my mom , my children’s grandma was called home to soon for us as well.

My children respected this man. He had a great since of humor and a real since of life. My boys would take advantage of a rainy day on the farm to ride their bikes over to the neighbor’s and hang out in his shed while he worked on some machinery that was in dire need of repair. As many farmers need to do on a rainy day…“We would talk for hours” my son told me “about  farm stuff and the local gossip”.

The farm across the road was only a bike ride down the lane and a quick turn to the left and up the lane on the right. I too remember this ride ….I had made the trip in my younger days to visit the neighbor and his kids who were close to my age.
My mom and his wife were friends, this family too had heritage. You see all of our lives were connected in some way. Our ancestors had created a community…one of which is hard to find these days.