My Texas sister flew out on Sunday heading back to Houston and her life that had been on hold for the 10 days she visited in Richmond. My RVA sister and I drove her to the airport and waved goodbye as she disappeared into the corridors leading to check-in gates and TSA stations before boarding her plane.
It feels I’ve been saying goodbye to her most of my adult life. She left RVA after college and has lived away ever since.
Her purpose for visiting was the memorial service of our youth minister of music from our high school days. Gail was asked to give remarks representing the youth group, and she did a dang good job. We had brainstormed with memories from those days, scraps of remembrances that she captured on paper where she worked to make sure it was exactly what needed to be said.
Then, after the words had been written, she read it out loud to us and reworked the wording, going over and over and over, then printed it out and rewrote it all over again. We timed her to keep within the five minutes that had been allotted. Then one last print-out, one last read-through, and it was ready to go. Her delivery was crisp and perfect, with touches of humor and poignance and love. It was an excellent reminder of a man who had meant a great deal to many of us with the examples he set in his own life.
We three sisters spent the following week after the memorial service visiting the sights and friends in RVA and enjoying time together. All too soon it was over and time for last hugs to say goodbye.
As I drove home that afternoon, the Blue Ridge Mountains growing larger out my windshield and feeling a little melancholy, I thought about the past year and all the goodbyes that had taken place, most notably my mom who died in July from congestive heart failure. It’s still hard to believe she’s gone.
My cousin Jim who died in May from cancer … far too young to be gone.
Bearing Drift senior correspondent and radio personality Rick Sincere who died in November, passing away in his sleep.
A childhood friend’s wife.
Parents of friends.
Mr. Harman. Man of God. Hero. We learned life lessons from the foundation he laid. He was someone who opened his heart to all and lived the Christian purpose of helping those who needed help. “For I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in: Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me.”
And those who are dealing with life-threatening illness like my cousin who was recently diagnosed with ALS, otherwise known as Lou Gehrig’s Disease.
A high school classmate whose birthday is the same day as mine who is dying from cancer. Our birthdays are February 9; she hopes to make it that long.
And so many more.
Far too many goodbyes.
“And the King shall answer and say unto them, ‘Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.’ “
LynnRMitchell.com 