Graduation Day

"Someone once said that death is not the greatest loss in life. The greatest loss is what dies inside

us while we live."

Uncle Bud, 

You were truly a man of God who showed love to everyone you came in contact with. You lived with a purpose; you took risks and lived life to the fullest! You showed us how to give of our time and to help others, and to believe in the best of people because they can surprise us.You didn't let life live you, you lived life. The way you loved Aunt Shirley allowed all of us to see that true love exists and 68 years later you were still going strong; You treated her like a queen and as if she was the only girl in the room, even up until the very last days of your life. You have inspired so many people, including myself. I am so blessed to have known such a wonderful man. We all love you and will miss you greatly. <3

I didn't get to know him very well, but I do have several great memories of him. I remember going to their cabin in Bass Lake when I really young with my parents and grandparents. I went fishing, we rode the sea do's and just spent time together. It was really beautiful up there! One thing that has always stuck out to me about that trip is when I went out on the boat with Uncle Bud and my dad, because my uncle wanted to take some food out to some people across the lake. I just remember my dad telling me that even though Uncle Bud was a wealthy man, he always gave back to others. And he did. I also remember him buying me a Ruben Studdard bear one time when they came out to visit. He was a man who put others before himself.

Uncle Bud looked at death as graduation day; when you leave this earth, you've done everything you could for God's glory and then you have a homecoming celebration when you go back to Heaven. I like that idea much better. Everything on earth here is just temporary and when we live with eternity in mind, we'll be a lot better off.

This was the last time I saw him, two years ago! Such a great day!

There was an episode (or a few) of One Tree Hill that dealt with the subject of death. They were right when they said there's nothing romantic about it, because there isn't. You see it in the movies and think 'wow! It's poetic and inspiring and you can pull a lot from it.' And I guess the emotions you feel can be, but death itself is not. It's loss, it's pain, it's emptiness, and it's lonely. It's inevitable, but something that none of us want to experience in our lifetime. No matter how many times you go through it, it doesn't get easier and you never stop missing them.

I guess you should consider yourself lucky when you miss someone, because at least you had someone worth missing in the first place (OTH). As hard as that is when you're grieving, it's true. Better to have loved and lost, than never to have loved at all. In those hard moments, you can hold onto all the wonderful memories you had together and that will get you through the pain of missing them.

That's all for now,
Shelby
xoxox