Happy Trails…

A very dear friend of mine passed away on Sunday night. His name was Bob and if you ever met him you’d love him instantly. I just returned from the funeral and feel heavy and weak so I’m hoping this will help me “get it out” so to speak.

Bob was one of those guys who was always happy and he treated me as dad said earlier “Like a queen.” I’d know him for a number of years and he was the one that helped me find not only my Firebird but my truck as well. He never wanted anything in return, that was just his way. I didn’t find out until Monday afternoon that he had passed away in his sleep. Melody and I had just come down off Hamburg Trail after a long day of hiking and enjoying nature to it’s fullest. When my cell phone rang I looked at it annoyed as I didn’t want to be brought back to reality just yet. Answering that call was one of the most sobering experiences I’ve had in a long time. It’s very hard to have someone in your life that is so good to you taken away suddenly without warning. Today I cried not only for Bob but for myself. Selfish? Yes, but I can’t help it.

This whole week I’ve had the thoughts of him nestled in my head, not wanting to think too much about it because it just didn’t seem like it could be real. This man was larger than life there was no way I’d never see his smiling face and open arms again. He and I could always have a good giggle everytime we got together, whether it was sneaking around the wrecking yard so he could have a cig without anyone but me knowing because he wasn’t allowed to smoke, or bumping into him at the post office and ending up standing there for hours just talking it was a constant joy that I took so much for granted.

For me the world now seems just a little more empty as another one of the faces I learned to love has gone on to a different place. Bob, you were an excellent friend, a man of great compassion and most importantly a sheer pleasure to be around. I hope that this trail you have ridden off on is good to you, your horse is light footed and that you arrive at your destination with nothing more than a smile and a memory of all of us. I love you sugar.

This entry was posted on Saturday, October 8th, 2005 at 6:07 pm and is filed under Sadness. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.