MY BROTHER RAY

My oldest brother Ray has been plagued with more than I think is humanly possible. A while back Ray had a stroke and could no longer find the words to say what he was thinking. He had failing eyesight and hearing like many in their 80's. At 86 he found he also had inoperable Cancer and now we can see that it is taking a toll on Ray. But the thing that is really pulling my brother down is the fact that he can no longer carry on a conversation or tell a story as he always enjoyed in the past.

I had been thinking about my brother and the life he has lead. I remember Ray always being a strong man. He has been a good son, brother, husband, father and grandfather. Ray always had something to say, a story to tell, words of wisdom, jokes and songs to sing. He inherited his father's gift for story telling, so when Ray spoke, everyone listened.

Remembering all his stories and stories about him kept me up many nights recently until I finally said, "I have to go see my brother to tell him what he has meant to me".

Thanks to our family, I was able to spend some time alone with Ray and Helen. The first thing out of my mouth was, "What do you want to talk about Ray?". His response, "Please tell me something, anything, a story, anything. I can't remember anymore. Please tell me". Wow, God sent me here to tell my brother a story.

So, I told my brother stories that my mom had told me; how when he was a small boy, he fell out of the back of my parents Model T while they were traveling to California and how his 3 other siblings did not tell my parents because they were not suppose to speak when my Dad was driving. I told my brother how my Mom had cried when Ray insisted that she sign her name on a document that would allow him to join the marines during WWII. Helen and I told him that he was one of so many young soldiers who landed on Iwo Jima. How so many lost their lives as soon as their feet hit the sand, but he made it all the way to the top of that mountain and was part of a battle that would become so famous.

We reminded him about coming home and finding himself a wife who would be his partner for life and how he worked so hard to take care of his family. And I reminded him how his faithfulness and good works had given him such a blessing from God.

For the rest of the weekend I witnessed a blessing that has made it possible for this man to endure so much. I saw his grandsons who are some big strong men come in to see their Papa each on their own time. Each approaching him and saying, "Hi Papa, I come to see you and let you know I love you. Can't forget his granddaughters. They all love him so much and spend time with him as well. Rays own children were in and out all weekend, knowing what needed to be done to help out, but still taking time out to kiss and hug their dad and spend a little time just chatting with him.

It was good medicine for him to have me, as my nephew calls it, "VALIDATING" my brother's life. But it was nothing compared to having his wife, children and grandchildren validating him on a daily basis. I will never forget how the sound of their voices brought such light into his eyes. 

I am sure when my brother gets to heaven, God will say, "Well done, my son."

 

 

You can take it with you

They say you can't take it with you. I beg to differ.

You can take Lust, Greed, Envy, Hatred all the way to the grave with you. In fact they will be there to bury you.

So, you might want to get rid of them NOW!

WHAT IF GOD DID NOT LET IT HAPPEN

So, I am getting dressed to go out and shop, when this thought suddenly hits me. Do I share this thought now or go shopping? I really want to go shopping now!

But here it goes: I was thinking about that question, "why did God let this happen". You have heard it and said it. But, what if God did not let it happen? What if God put all the warning signs out and we did not heed it. God put out all the rules of logic and concern down in a book to follow. However, he gave us the ability to choose! So, what if God made us stewards of his plan and we did not follow through and he gave warning after warning and we did not follow through. Did God let the inevitable happen or did we? Suppose God made you a steward by making you a leader of your country, your state, your city or your family and he put it in you the ability to create, develop, protect or establish and you ignored that calling by saying, "I am nobody, I could never do that" or maybe the world makes it more advantages for you to follow the world instead. Wow, I am just saying.

REGIMENTED

If I were regimented, I would be rich, thin and fit. If I were regimented I would have memorized scripture. I would be a master of something instead of a jack of nothing. If I were regimented, I would have saved thousands of hours because I would know where I left my keys, my purse, my car. If I were regimented, I would remember to tell you each day how special you are.

SHE WAS A GHOST!

This photo of Chris Vigil, my dad and his nephew, Tom Hill reminds me of another one of Dads stories.

Again, the vehicle in the background belonged to my father's boss and since Dad was the only one who knew how to drive it, he got to use it alot!

One afternoon Chris and Tom got all duded up and drove down the mountain from Granpa's ranch into town. It was late in the afternoon and the road was not well traveled as it only went past a few ranches.
As they had just passed one of the bigger ranches on that road, Chris saw a woman, dressed in a long black dress with a big hat and black veil covering her face, standing on the side of the road. She had a couple of suit cases and two little boys dressed in short pants and suit jackets next to her. They were very dressed up and Chris wondered what they could possibly be doing standing there all alone. So, naturally Chris stops the car and tells his cousin Tom, who was 12 at the time, to ask the woman if she needed a ride. Tom looks back and immediately lets out a scream and crawls under Chris' legs on the floor board.

Chris tried to look back but he said he felt as if someone had hold of his head and he could not turn around. All Chris could do was get the heck out of there and drive on to town, all the time Tom is screaming and would not come out from under his legs.

Once they reached town Chris was able to pull over and get Tom out of the vehicle. Tom finally stopped screaming and told Chris that when he turned around to speak to the lady, she and her boys were sitting in the back seat of the car!

Chris found out sometime later that the woman and little boys had once lived on that ranch. The woman's husband was very cruel to her and the boys and would beat them often. The story is that one day she decides to leave her husband. On a day that her husband was away from the ranch, she packs their suitcases, gets herself and the boys dressed and goes out to the road and starts to walk or maybe she was waiting for a ride. Whatever her plan was, it was foiled when the man of the house suddenly returns and sees them trying to run away from him. He kills his wife and two young sons.
I wonder whatever happened to that Rancher. Whatever the story was, Chris confirmed many times along with his cousin Tom that they traveled with a ghost that day...

THEIR COURTING DAYS

My Dad worked for one of the richest men in Silver City, N.M. I can't for the life of me remember the gentleman's name. At any rate, this fella buys the first automobile in Silver City and my Dad had to learn how to drive and maintain it for him. So, Daddy got to drive that vehicle whenever his boss was not in need of transportation.

After Dad met Mom he decided to drive out to my grandparents farm and show off this vehicle to his girlfriend. He got all duded up and drove out there that same afternoon. Dad said there were all kinds of hills and boulders around the farm and as soon as he drove up he got bombarded with dirt clods from all angles. Little did he know Mom had a bunch of little brothers who did not appreciate someone calling on their sister. By the time he got to the front door he was full of dirt and looked a mess!

Funny, he said that my uncles were a bunch of little savages back then who probably had never left the farm. My mom would get so mad at him when he would say that! I guess he did not know that her grandmother was an Apache indian.

PONCHO VILLA

I recently saw a documentary about General Patton. In case you did not see the movie, General Patton was a famously notorious general in the European campaign during WWII. It reminded me of a story my Dad told me about his adventures during WWI.

Daddy joined the Army during WWI to see "Gay Paree". He was 17 years old and had done nothing but break horses on his dad's ranch all his life. He went into town and saw these wonderul posters all over the place showing dancing girls in Paris. Boy, he was ready to go to war.
Unfortunately, the furthest he ever got was a Remount Station in Texas, breaking horses!!!

However, during his stint in the Army, he was working under General Purshing and recalled a story when General Pershing was in pursuit of Pancho Villa. My Dad said that he was with his regiment on a mountain top viewing one of the skirmishes they had with Pancho Villa and he saw where Pancho Villa and his men were backed into a box canyon and the Army was certain that this time they had him. My Dad said he was watching with his own eyes and could never figure out how Villa escaped, but he did after a brutal shoot out! Interesting side note. General Patton was a young officer at that time under General Pershing and was sent out to search for Pancho Villa. He was so notorious even at that young age. Patton goes off with a few of his men and found and killed some of Villa's men and returned to the General with the bandits bodies tied across the hood of his vehicle!