Another Loss by Susan L.

  An elderly friend of mine passed away last week at eighty-three. It was rather sudden. He'd taken a bad fall so his wife and friends took him to the hospital. He never came out.
  I've known them for at least seventeen years and am saddened by the loss. I was over there yesterday and kept expecting him to appear with another "to do", be it something as simple as changing a light bulb, or helping him test the water level in the wells.
  For the last few years, I've been helping him and his wife out on a regular basis. I learned grace and patience from him. As he was unable to do more, as Parkinsons ravaged his body, I learned to let him help where he could. Even if I knew I could do the task at hand much faster on my own. His gentleman's dignity and need to do deserved that much.
  Wally was a pilot who owned a couple of small planes. Years ago, we had a flying party. He and another pilot took the group of us up one by one for a brief flight on a beautiful summer day. As we crammed ourselves into the narrow cockpit of his 1945 Air Force training plane, his love of flying was obvious. He shared that he would often bring a cigar and a glass of brandy with him as he enjoyed the skies on evenings just like that one.
  He had flown for Air Canada but when he retired, the rebel in him showed up. He had a silver pony tail, allowed now because he no longer had to follow hair style policies.
  He sold his bright yellow bi-plane last year because he wasn't able to fly any more. As the plane was dismantled and packed into a large container for its trip to Australia, it was heart wrenching for him and for me to witness. Still, it's good to know it will grace the skies again.
  There's a celebration of life gathering tonight. His wife found one of his old flight logs from Wally's days in the Royal Canadian Air Force. She decided to use it as a guest registry and asked me to write in it for her:
  "Last flight, July 18, 2014, 3 AM"
  I think he'd have liked that.
  Lord, be with all who mourn this loss.
  "Trust in Him at all times, you people; Pour out your heart before Him; God is a refuge for us. Selah." Ps 62:8