Sunday, February 17, 2008

There once was a Man

There once was a man who loved people.
He loved people to the point that he always
had a smile on his face and a stretched out hand to shake.

There once was a man, who when someone was needing
a ride to church, he would go get them. If someone was sick,
he'd visit them and bring them something. If someone was lost,
he'd find out where they were and set them straight and on their way.

There once was a man, who loved his family unconditionally and provided for them as best as he could. He was the mentor to his children and a knight to his wife, his princess.

There once was a man, who stood at the altar with his youngest son as his best man, keeping the bride's ring safe and secure.

There once was a man, who took in a step-grandson as if he was his own, worked on a radio kit with this little man and made sound.

There once was a man, who held each and every grandchild and beamed from head to toe. Who kicked up his heels at every new gurgle and wiped up with pleasure the spit-up from each little chin.

There once was a man, who stopped by this youngest son's home and plugged in fresh green onions in their garden as a surprise. Who lovingly shelled his backyard-grown pecans for his only daughter, on her own far away, to enjoy.

There once was a man, who loved his princess and thought she hung the moon. With a wink in his eye, and a come-on look, they would go square dancing for the night.

There once was a man, who suffered a stroke and the medical team said he can overcome this....he can! But it was not to be.

There once was a man, who sat in a wheelchair for 7.5 years in a house that he shared with his princess of 60 years. He sat and he sat, and he smiled at her still, but never was able to walk again. Now he has suffered another stroke, much milder than before, but for years of being a shut-in, he has no more strength to endure.

There once was man who loves his princess dearly, but is in a nursing home alone too weak to be with her. He lies in a bed in a ball everyday, and waits to see his Lord. His children 4, all moved away to their own careers and lives. Too far away to run to him daily, but on every occasion to visit, they fly.

There once was a man who I pray for every minute of every day since all this happened, who dearly loves people and should never have ended up this way......alone.

But, there once was a man, that because of his knighthood, I have a knight just like him. To love and to cherish and keep care all his days. That is my promise to him and to God...the Holiest of all Knights.

3 comments:

Carol said...

That is such a beautiful post... He will be rewarded by Our Lord I am sure... Thank you (even though it gave me teary eyes to start my day!) Carol

Sir Galen of Bristol said...

That is lovely.

Heidi Hess Saxton said...

Dear Ebeth: It's so sad, isn't it, the turns life can take at times? I'm so sorry to hear about your dear FIL. My prayers are with you, and with his wife as well. She must be suffering, too, in ways we can't imagine. Sometimes what looks like selfishness on the outside can mask an overpowering sense of lostness.