Wilton

Today I lost a friend. Wilton was 90 years old. He was Texan to the core. These two things meant we didn't always see eye to eye. Not that I ever told him that. I didn't always laugh at his jokes, because they were offensive, but I smiled because I knew he was just being Wilton. He and his wife Dorothy celebrated 65 years of marriage before she passed in 2008. Dorothy was a school teacher and her paddle still hung on the wall of their home. They were an old school couple who grew up in a different era and I loved them both so much. Dorothy tried to fix me up with both of her grandsons. Bobby passed away very unexpectedly in 2009 and Tex will be married in September. But I sure did appreciate the fact that she and Wilton wanted me to be a part of their family.

Just this past week, I wrote Wilton a note to tell him I had heard he was sick. I told him how glad I was that he was my friend. I am truly blessed to have had Wilton, and Dorothy, in my life. If nothing else, the love that they showed for each other, even after 65 years, was enough to make me keep looking for my forever love. I didn't put that in the note to Wilton. I didn't have any stamps and so never mailed it. I'd like to think he knew how many lives he blessed. But I still felt like I needed to get it out there for someone to read. It's a selfish part of the grieving process.

So, thank you Wilton, for the love and laughter. You will be missed.