A Good Man

"The most important point is to accept yourself and stand on your own two feet." Shunryu Suzuki

"Nowadays the world is becoming increasingly materialistic, and mankind is reaching toward the very zenith of external progress, driven by insatiable desire for power and vast possessions. Yet by this vain striving for perfection in a world where everything is relative, they wander even further away from inward peace and happiness of mind." Dalai Lama

I had to break bad news to my Mom yesterday. A man she greatly admired passed away after fighting some horrendous injuries. When my Dad died Nathan took my widowed Mom under his wing and any time she needed help repairing things in the house he did so charging her very little. He was a very good man and was loved by everybody who knew him.

I had only met him briefly once but I was very grateful for the way he took care of Mom. Anytime she had a problem with this old house she could count on him to come and fix it. My Dad was a handyman and could fix anything and after his death Mom was at a loss to find someone who could do all the things that he could do.

Nathan had gone through some very hard times this last year or so. His wife had been in a serious auto accident. He had been injured badly when he was hit by a car. The final blow came a couple of weeks ago when a tree he was cutting down fell on him rather then the way it was supposed to go. His body never fully recovered even though it looked for a time that he may pull through. In the end though God wanted him home.

It was a very hard call to make to tell Mom of his passing. I knew she would be terribly upset but I also knew I needed to be the one to tell her. My older brother is a good guy but he really doesn't know how to handle things like this. My mother is a very private person and keeps her feelings and emotions to herself except when it comes to me and her older sister. I am the one who knows how to listen to her. I listened yesterday.

Another good man is the Pastor of our church, Father Steve. A few months ago a 19 year old kid fell asleep at the wheel and plowed into Father Steve's car critically injuring him. The kid just walked awy with very minor injuries. Father Steve has been through many surgeries and now therapy to learn how to walk again. He is still not back at his duties. We are thankful that we still have him with us. He was so hoping to be back at work for the Easter Season but was not able to make that. We hope to have him back by mid summer.

Two good men, one with God and one being watched over by God. My prayers and those of my family are with them both.

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