Best Friends

When I was young, up to about 8th grade, my best friend was my cousin Mirvin. We were only a year apart in age and he only lived a few blocks down the street. Seems like he would spend friday night at my house one weekend and I would be at his the next. We rode our bikes everywhere. He could always get there faster, it seemed. I always blamed it on my bike, but it was probably because he was in better shape than me





High school came and I had many friends. Two of my best ones were Wayne Schneider and Jon Weinman. Wayne was a little on the wild side, but at times I suppose so was I. For many years and even now when we run into each other, he is still very genuine and is special to me. Jon was a year younger than me. We raced cars together. Went hunting. He was my roomate at college for one semester and is still a friend.





When college came I had a friend named Steve Sprague. We lived in the same dorm together at Fort Hays. We were very close. We always thought that we thought alike, we liked the same things. We went fishing together. We were just very close. I even overheard his beautiful wife Bev tell someone that when she married Steve she did not know that I came with the package. I never had a friend like Steve.





Someone else was my best friend of all. He and I could talk politics. We could talk religion. We could share home challenges. We loved the Phillips County countryside. I was able to go to work with him every working day for over 20 years. We went to church together everytime the doors were open. He was my mentor. He was the one I looked up to in spite of his faults. He loved me in spite of mine. He was my Dad.





Ten weeks ago tonight I lost him. We all lost him. I still have a treasure in my friend and wife Sharlene. But he was my man friend. The early days after he left us have been kind of a blur. But now memories are coming back. When the phone rings in the afternoon, I know it is not him, but I think, "Well, this is about the time Dad would call." When I look at the wheat crop, I think, I would be telling Dad about how good the wheat looks. We then might go up to look at his wheat, just to know. We had home made ice cream last weekend. Boy, there were few things Dad liked better than home made ice cream. I could always count on him for at least two dishes. Man, I miss him. The numbness is wearing off. He would have loved being able to hold his my new grandbaby and his new great-grandbaby last weekend. He would have loved the dogs too.




I wish I would have asked him more questions. I wish I would have paid closer attention to the things he told me. I knew his time was getting shorter, I just thought I would have more time to do those things. It just does not always work the way we think we have it figured out.




It is just another reminder of who is really in charge.




Like the song Willie Nelson sings, he is always on my mind, he is always on my mind.




I just miss my Dad.