Bittersweet homecoming and an old boot

Mom & Dad got home Monday, August 17th. There was a lot to do, especially to move back into a house to live in after no one had really "lived" in it since June 2008. (Granted, Dad had been back once a week, but only to "visit," pick up the mail, etc.). Mom said it took 3 garbage bags just to empty the freezer and refrigerator from all the expired food!

On Sunday, August 23rd, they were back in church for the first time in about 2 years. What a surprise for the Sunday School Class! Many of them commented about what a joy- and miracle- it was to see Mom back, better than before! It was a joyous homecoming!

That afternoon, Mom's sister and niece came down from Lubbock for a visit- the first time they had seen each other face-to-face in over two years. Lots of hugging and tears! Sue (Mom's niece) said they hugged each other and wouldn't let go for the longest time! It was very special. Plans were made to get back to see my uncle (who was in the hospital in Lubbock) as soon as possible.

But that was not to happen. My uncle passed away Monday morning about 2:20 a.m.

This really hit Mom and Dad like a ton of bricks. We had grown up with Aunt "Doda" (our name for my aunt) and Uncle Elvin in the same town, just blocks away for most of our lives. They were like a second set of parents, and our cousins were more like extra brothers and sisters. The family (minus Mom) actually saw Doda and Elvin back in May after Michael's graduation, but I know Mom really wanted to see him again. Dad and Uncle Elvin got along like brothers, rather than brothers-in-law. It was a special family bond that is very rare among our later generations.

Uncle Elvin was tough as an old boot. He had survived heart bypass surgery from about 30 years ago, when it was REALLY serious; it laid him out for about 6 months, as I remember. He had Type I diabetes, so he was insulin dependent; his kidneys had basically failed, so he had been on dialysis for more than a year (as I remember). He survived ailments and accidents that would have killed 30 normal men, so he was almost super-human. But a recent fall brought about complications that his tired body finally couldn't overcome.

But what is special about an old boot? It's hard and busted up on the outside. It's scratched and cut and beat up and it doesn't shine much any more; in fact, it's pretty much a waste of shoe polish to try to get an old boot looking good.

But an old boot is soft inside. It still feels good to put it on. It brings back special memories and feelings when you wear old boots. They don't hurt like new ones, They're comfortable to be around and special to wear whenever you can. They're just special...

And that was Uncle Elvin. Tough, beat-up, scarred on the outside; a tender-hearted, kind, serving gentleman on the inside. Mike and Sue (my cousins) told me a story once where he was going to send me money during college because he thought I didn't have enough. He once let Rusty (my younger brother) drive his brand-new car back from Abilene in the rain when Rusty was only 15 and only had a learner's permit. He thought all of us nieces and nephews were special, and he treated us all that way. Shoot... he treated everybody as if they were special; because in his eyes, they were.

What an example to try to follow. What a legacy to try to live up to. He set the bar mighty high.

There were lots of friends at the funeral, the cemetery, and the reception. And everyone remembered Uncle Elvin with a smile and kind words. Just the way it should be.

Not bad for a tough ol' boot.