We buried my friend today and a little story about it!

[jjmitchell60]

As many of you know I had a dear friend that has been battleing cancer for a few months and he died this Monday mourning at 12:06AM. I was honored to be a pall berrer as were all pall berrers. We buried him today and he got the best of me even in his death. Below is a little story as to what happened today.

I saw people from all walks of life come together to his visitation/funeral that usually pay no attention to one another. I saw people worth tens of millions of dollars down to people living from pay check to pay check pay their respects to this man. That says a lot about him as well as his charactor. I will tell all of you one thing, he got a good one over on me in the end! I have had a gentlemans knife that I carry that was given to me by my grandfather many years ago. It was one of many he gave me but this knife I carried all the time. I knew it was rare and worth a bit of money as did my late frind. He had tried to buy that knife from me for many years, asking me to name the price but I always said no without even blinking an eye. The night he died, my cousin who is the funeral director as well as my friend's friend also, asked me to stay with him while he did his duty on our friend. I did and my cousin asked me to open a box with some chemicals in it so he could use them. I used my knife that my late friend had always wanted and I laid the knife on the table while pulling the chemicals from the box. In my state of mind I left it there! I did not even think of that knife till this afternoon after the funeral when I was changing into street cloths. Well we looked for it to no avail so I figured it would turn up later. I went to my cousin's house tonight to give them some garden fresh green beans and my cousin's wife asked me if I saw the knife that they had put back in our friends pocket in the casket. I asked what knife and she described it to me. It is my gentlemans knife that my late friend always wanted! I was floored because I could not think of anything else except one of my revolvers he liked to put in with him. When my cousin found out it was my knife, he found it on the table where I laid it close to our friends personal affects after opening the box of chemicals, he looked at me in horror because he knew that our grandfather had gave me that knife! I rolled with laughter as did my wife! Seems my late friend finally got that knife off me and it was the slickest deal he ever made. My cousin wanted to get me any new knife no matter the cost for accidently putting it in my late friend's pocket but I told him to not worry because if I had thought of it, it would have been there anyway. I now have a friend above laughing his butt off at me for finally getting that knife. I inturn am mourning a true friend. It is funny how things happen for no rhyme or reason yet they are things that seem to make the healing process begin.

Thanks to all that have been here with your prayers, thoughts, and just to listen as I have dealy with my friends illness and death. I see I have friends here that will listen to ramblings on and for that I am truely grateful. Take care all.

[outdoortexas]

Brings a smile to my old face my friend...
hope it can keep one on yours as well...
Remember him quietly now, and forever.

[armedandsafe]

Our departed ones have a way of slipping back into our lives when we least expect it.

When I turned 14, my Father gave me a little book of the Rudyard Kipling poem, "If." I carried that book for years. When I came back from Europe, I put it in my top dresser drawer, as it was getting pretty battered. A year later, I went over to his funeral and took the book with me. I put it in his jacket pocket at the funeral home. In my mind, he was a MAN.

If

If you can keep your head when all about you
Are losing theirs and blaming it on you;
If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you,
But make allowance for their doubting too;
If you can wait and not be tired by waiting,
Or, being lied about, don't deal in lies,
Or, being hated, don't give way to hating,
And yet don't look too good, nor talk too wise;

If you can dream - and not make dreams your master;
If you can think - and not make thoughts your aim;
If you can meet with triumph and disaster
And treat those two imposters just the same;
If you can bear to hear the truth you've spoken
Twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools,
Or watch the things you gave your life to broken,
And stoop and build 'em up with wornout tools;

If you can make one heap of all your winnings
And risk it on one turn of pitch-and-toss,
And lose, and start again at your beginnings
And never breath a word about your loss;
If you can force your heart and nerve and sinew
To serve your turn long after they are gone,
And so hold on when there is nothing in you
Except the Will which says to them: "Hold on";

If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue,
Or walk with kings - nor lose the common touch;
If neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you;
If all men count with you, but none too much;
If you can fill the unforgiving minute
With sixty seconds' worth of distance run -
Yours is the Earth and everything that's in it,
And - which is more - you'll be a Man my son!

[tuckerd1]

JJ,

Thanks for the story. Brought a smile to my face this morning.

Don

[Marlin]

We never know whence comes closure. The Lord works in mysterious ways.

Thanks for sharing with us.

[SouthernMoss]

Laughter has wonderful healing properties, and the fact that you were able to laugh in the midst of sadness tells how special your relationship with your friend really was. You'll think of him with a smile now every time you reach into your pocket, and as long as he lives on in your memories, he will never truly be dead.

[rosierita]

heehee!

thanks for sharing that. laughter is good medicine.

[inplanotx]

Thanks for sharing your experience. It is a very lifting experience.

[Eagle Guns]

Great story,Thanks

[TrinityScrimshaw]

Thanks for sharing that very warm story.

Trinity +++

[280freak]

Excellent story! Always nice to read something uplifting like that. Thanks for posting it.

[punchie]

Laughter is the best medicine. Wonderful story, thanks for sharing.

[greeker375]

JJ...

As your friend would no doubt say..."gotcha"!

[Mabooger]

Nice story, I'm glad you posted it.

It still amazes me how something like that can be comforting & help the healing process.
Reminds you to cherish the friendship & good times.

[jjmitchell60]

Thanks all for the kind words. I went out to my late friend's house today to feed his 5 dogs. I reached into my pocket to pull out my knife to cut open the bags of dog food and I pulled out a piece of Japonese junk of a lockback I am now carrying. I lost it for a bit, had a good cry, and then finished opening 2 more bags of dog food to pour out into the tubs. I reckon my friend is smiling about now over getting that one over on me for free! We have finally found homes for all the dogs, one is coming home with me to join my other 4, and I am going to a gun show tomorrow to buy me a new small Case lockback knife!!!!! I hope I hold my composure as I do so. Many people who know me and my cousin have had a good laugh over the knife. As they stated it is one story so ironic it will be told over and over again in our circles.