Farewell Old Friend

Something happened to me on Friday night that hurt me deeply. We went to a charity dinner and auction that is sponsored and funded by my previous employer. At the auction, I had the honor of sitting with my old boss. He is an awesome guy that I really admire and he is truly a "Man's Man". He hired me in 1998 and taught me a lot about being a Geologist in the coal fields and how to deal with people. In our conversation, I asked him how Carl was doing. That's when it happened: He told me: " Carl passed away back in April due to pancreatic cancer". Those words hit me like a ton of bricks because I didn't know that a person I held dear to my heart had died. I was hurt, mad, heart broken, and sorry all at the same time.

Carl was my bulldozer man when I first started working as an Exploration Geologist for the coal company. He was in his 60's and could run any piece of equipment. He was also wise due to his years and could always give you good advice in any real life situation you may have fallen into. My favorite thing about Carl was that he was a notorious jokester and you could never get the upper hand on him when it came to pranks. I spent more time with Carl than I did anyone else and looked up to him as a father figure. I can truly say that I loved the man and appreciate everything he taught me. He was generous, friendly, and tough and he had the scars to prove it. He was also rough in the ways of this world (I was to at the time) and would cuss like a sailor and tell stories that could make you blush.

Before I was laid off due to downsizing, I came back to the Lord. The first person I began praying for was Carl and praying specifically that he would turn from his ways and seek Jesus. About three months later, we were driving out a mountain road and he told me, "Don, I've decided that it's time for me to give it all to the Lord." I was so shocked that I almost wrecked and turned to him and told him of all the prayers and hope that I had for him and how I was overjoyed that he had come to Jesus. About a year after that, I lost my job and didn't see him again (That was in June of 2003). In fact, the last time I saw him, he was riding over a ridge top on a bulldozer, just like a cowboy would ride off into the sunset.

So today, I'm sad that a dear friend has departed. Much of this pain comes from the fact that I didn't get to pay my respects to the widow, sons, daughter, and grandchildren he left behind. I sat down today to write each of them a letter and tell them what he meant to me but had a hard time penning the words due to my rush of emotions. I'll get through it and mail it to them but it is a tough thing to pen. If you haven't experienced it, writing a one page tribute to a friend is one hundred times harder than writing a 180 page book.

But as for now, one day we will meet again in heaven but until then, I miss you my friend.