Slice of Life Tuesday: Thinking of you, Harry

As a young child, my family had friends that Mom and Dad enjoyed doing this with. It seemed that every weekend we would spend an evening with them. They would come to our house, or we would go to theirs. The parents would play board games or shuffle board or croquet. The kids would watch or go off to play games of their own, like hide and seek or ball toss or something new one of us had dreamed up. My sister and I were about the same age as their two oldest boys. We were close friends.

One of my favorite memories is of when I was about twelve. We would go to their house on a Saturday evening. Dad would say: "Go get your money if you want to drive that car." We would hurry to our piggy banks We would each grab a quarter. That was how much a gallon of gas cost. We had to pay for the gas we would be using.

All four of us would get in the old car situated in the field beside their house. When it was my sister's turn to drive, she would sit on Leslie's lap because she was too little to reach the peddles...brakes and gas. We would each take a turn driving that car around the outside "track".  That's where I learned to drive.

Harry and Lois were as much a part of my growing up years as my parents and grandparents were. They were part of the person I have become.

Now, the hard part. Harry turned 89 today. He is in the hospital fighting for his life. As his daughter-in-law said today. He is ready to go, but we aren't ready to let him. He is an inspiration to all of us. We love him dearly. Our thoughts and prayers are with him and his family as he travels this last journey.

Happy Birthday, Harry.  We love you!