I lost a friend last night. He was a wonderful man whom I dearly loved. He died in his sleep, thankfully and left a wife and seven wonderful children.
Bob was an awesome man and one who would give you the shirt of his back. He and I had a playful, fun friendship.
I met Bob and his wife on the internet and we hit it off right away. He as playful and fun. We had an ongoing playful relationship that I was sure was going to last forever. He was the kind of man who would do whatever he could for those he loved. And he loved me. We had a playful relationship. I'd tell him to ditch his wife so I could I could show him what a "real" woman was like. And he would tease me the very same way. He dearly loved his wife and she dearly loved him in return.
I had the opportunity to meet him and his wife in person several years ago. He was a real blessing in my life and I will miss him.
I also feel so sad for his wife. She and I are dear friends and I wonder how she is going to survive without him. They were the kind of people who would finish each others sentences for one another. They were truly soul mates.
Bob was the kind of man who would give you the shirt off his back and even give you his last dollar....a real friend to all. It was Lung cancer that took him, along with a tumor behind his heart. It was only last Saturday that the doctors found it and they told his wife that he should last until December. So she took him home, put a hospital bed in her living room and took care of his every need. Then sadly, only four days later he died in his sleep. I worry about my friend and how she is going to cope. Luckily, she has 5 great kids who will rally around her and hold her sane.
Having lost my own husband a little more than 5 years ago, I know exactly how she feels. It's like losing your right arm, your other half, and having no clue about where to turn next or how to even function. This is the kind of loss that no one should ever have to bear.
Bob was 2 years old when his mother died and it was his 4 year old brother who took over and raised him. I can't imagine having a 4 year old taking care of a two year old. You would think that after growing up like that a person would turn out badly. But not Bob. He did his best to take care of his children, dote on his wife and do what he knew was right all of his life. His wife told me a few days before he died that the one thing he was looking forward to was meeting his mother, whom he never even remembered.
When he found out that he had cancer he decided right away that he was not going to have treatment to prolong his life. Neither he nor his wife wanted his last months to be filled with sickness and pain. So, he decided to just make the best of it. I admire that. And I pray that they did make the best of the time they had. I hope that the two of them took those four days to say goodbye to one another. Goodbye's are so important and that's something I did not get to do.
My heart is breaking for my friend. I wish I could be with her, but because they live in Ohio and I am in NC that's going to be impossible for me. I only hope that he knew how much I loved him and how blessed I was to have him as my friend.
So, to Bob Wilson, a truly wonderful man. May God have mercy on his soul and bless him. I know he is going to be sitting at those purely gates patiently waiting on the love of his life when her time comes.
God speed Bob, my love and respect goes with you.
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