They say timing is everything and the past several days have been full. Mostly, I’ve been out of town and my spirit of adventure doesn’t include trying a new barber. They say the difference between a good haircut and a bad haircut is approximately two weeks. I didn’t want to risk it! Consequently, I’m sporting the shaggy dog look. I’d like to think I wear it well, but at the end of the day, shaggy is still shaggy.
Thinking that Saturday morning might work, I had my blog written and posted in ample time for me to commute into Austin to the barbershop and get back home before we needed to leave. A celebration of life service was scheduled for a friend yesterday afternoon. She actually was the wife of the General’s former employer.
I told the General that I was going to run into Austin to get a haircut. Without opting to consider the merit of what I was suggesting, she told me I didn’t have time. Actually, I offered no rebuttal. I figured I’d be cutting it close. Maybe she was right?
Actually, Mr. Burton, the attorney for whom the General formerly worked, retired from practice following health issues in 2004. The General continued on at the law office. Mr. Burton is a gracious and kind man. They and we’ve remained friends across the years. He endearingly refers to me as his Baptist preacher. I always feel good when he makes that statement. Like I said, he is a kind man. Over the years, he and his wife Susie have generally made it to church once or twice a year. We never know when they are coming. They simply show up. Always their presence adds to the specialness of the day.
Sadly, Susie left this world for the next about a week and a half ago. I was honored that the family invited me to officiate at the celebration of life service for her. In addition, three other individuals were invited to stories and reflections following the message. I always like it when several people are involved in bidding farewell and celebrating a person’s life.
We’ve all heard the expression: “a picture is worth a thousand words”. The service included a video tribute that spoke volumes regarding Susie’s life and those who were touched and enriched by her presence. The obituary crafted yet another kaleidoscope of the relationships shared and the many roles Susie fulfilled.
Susie was many things to many people. She was a wife, a sister, an aunt, a treasured family member, a loyal friend, a confident, a source of laughter, a lover of nature and a friend to animals. The list goes on and on. Her indomitable spirit touched all of our lives and how enriched and blessed we are for her influence and friendship.
My friendship with Susie was in conjunction with Mr. Burton. They were a matched pair. I seldom thought of one without thinking of the other. Susie and Mr. Burton were good together as a couple. The Scripture tells us that God is Love. The relationship that Susie and Mr. Burton shared was a loving relationship and it was one they shared for decades. One of my highest honors was to subsequently officiate at their wedding. The marriage didn’t change the dynamics of their loving relationship, but it affirmed to others that the relationship would see them through this lifetime together. Their exchange of wedding vows was a tender moment.
Susie lived with a radiance that her illness could not take from her. Because of her stamina and love for life, Susie simply refused to yield it. She was determined to make the most of each day. She didn’t fell prey to last depression. Her life didn’t reflect bitterness and anger. She simply stayed the course and lived her life to the fullest one day at a time.
In the recent past, the last couple of times that I had opportunity to visit with Susie and Mr. Burton, I had the thought: “Susie has to be the most resilient person I’ve ever known. She just keeps moving forward with optimism and joy associated to the journey. She was absolutely radiant”.
Saturday evening, the celebration of life included a gathering at the couple’s home. I couldn’t pass up an opportunity to take Mr. Burton’s picture with his former law partner, Roy Minton. Mrs. Minton is also in the picture. Back in the day, they represented the best in the business. I told someone that the years the General worked in that law office, I lived with the confidence that if she ever killed me, she’d never serve time.
Fortunately for me, she never needed their capable assistance.
All My Best!
Don