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"I Believe in you!"
A message of Hope...stories from the
road.
By Bob Perks
************************************************
Hello, my Friend!
Hot?
If hell is like this I'm going to start to be real
good!
Hope you are well and happy, my friend.
My best to you always,
Bob and Marianne
************************************************
Perks Pearl of Wisdom
"Be there. Don't just say you will. Be there
in all things good and for all
good reasons. In all things bad but for all good
reasons.
The true measure of love is commitment." Bob
Perks
************************************************
Appreciate what I do?
Here's how you can help me:
This link will take you to my web page for more
information,
shopping, and ways you can help.
I humbly thank you in advance...
Love always and all ways,
Bob and Marianne
Perks ********************************************
All stories copyright 2007 Bob Perks
Today's message:
"Except for six strangers"
By Bob Perks
It was extremely hot and humid. Any movement at all
caused perspiration to form on
my brow eventually running like a fresh rain down my
face.
I had arrived early and was standing in the parking
lot.
After a few minutes I wandered inside to find a place out
of the sun and hopefully
into the cool air being generated by the small window air
conditioner facing the lot.
I was out of the sun, but far from cool.
The only other time I was ever in a funeral home by myself
was when my Gramps died.
The director always let me arrive early so I could spend
some private time with him.
I loved my Gramps so much.
This time, however, I didn't even know the man and I was
about to participate in his funeral.
A man walked in and thanked me for being there. "We have
him ready. There will be no viewing, of course.
We will hold a simple ceremony at the grave site," he
said.
When the others arrived we all followed the hearse a few
miles down the road to the cemetery. Upon entering,
the driver slowed down for a moment just outside the
chapel.
"Good, at least he will have a church service," I
thought to myself.
Suddenly the cars in front of me began to
move.
Following them down a winding road we made a sharp turn
and pulled up along the roadside.
The hearse drove right up to the open grave and back up to
it.
I got out of the car and back into the sweltering
heat. The grass crunched below my feet as dust flew up in the
air
with each step.
The back door opened and inside was the simple wooden
casket of ...wait I don't even know his name!
"Can I help you with that?" I asked.
"If you'd like to. There's no handles on it so you
have to grab it from the bottom," he said.
With little effort, four of us lifted and placed the man
over his final resting place.
Including the funeral director, there were six of us in
attendance.
The chaplain began his brief service and I began to
disconnect. I mean, I couldn't believe this. All the thoughts
of how sad this was. All the images of no one being
there for him and no one caring trashed my brain.
"And so we commit our friend..." the chaplain went
on.
And then it was over.
"May I ask," the director said. "Did any of you know
him? I mean, would you know him by sight?"
One of the nurses replied, "Yes."
"Would you please take a moment to identify him?" he
asked.
He was about to open the casket.
We all stood there nervously anxious and uneasy.
I've certainly seen enough dead people in my life, but this seemed
odd to me. Right there in the cemetery...he opened
the casket.
The man was in a nice dress shirt and without any fancy
linen, silk or even cotton lining in the box he was leaning toward
us.
"This would be the very last time that the sun would shine
on him," I thought to myself. Then the lid was closed.
For 57 years my life zig zagged in a thousand
directions. For 70 some his did, too. On this day, in early August
2007,
our lives crossed. I didn't know him and he didn't
know me. I never had the honor of speaking with him nor did I ever hear
a word about him before this very day.
He had loved, laughed and lived well over 25,550
days. In doing so he touched thousands of lives and still, on the very
last day
none of those people were there.
That is except for six strangers.
I have since learned that he did indeed have family.
But none of them spoke to each other for more than a third of his life.
Are you saddened by this?
Me, too.
Is there someone you need to call right now? Someone
you haven't spoken to for many years? Someone who would love to
know you cared enough to forgive, ask for forgiveness,
forget, move on, begin again, start over, love anyway?
Me, too.
Imagine being that man who had no one, "that is except for
six strangers."
"I believe in you!"
Bob
I encourage you to share my stories but I do ask
that you keep my name and
contact information with my work.
*********************************************
Comments:
Have a comment about today's story?
please write to "2 believe @ comcast .net"
(spaces were placed between words in email
address for security)
"I Wish You enough!"
© 2001 Bob Perks I wish you enough sun to keep your attitude bright.
I wish you enough rain to appreciate the sun more. I wish you enough happiness to keep your spirit alive. I wish you enough pain so that the smallest joys in life appear much bigger. I wish you enough gain to satisfy your wanting. I wish you enough loss to appreciate all that you possess. I wish you enough "Hello's" to get you through the final "Goodbye." |
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| << August02, 2007 - "The last steps" |
August13, 2007 - "Tomatoes" >> |
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