A Touching Story

Today I met an old man.  As kind of a fellow as ever I've met, his brother was the same.  (I may have a soft spot for old guys being as how I no longer have a grandpa of my own.)  These guys live in the town just to the south of us, 1 of only 4 in the county.  Today we helped them string a hot wire fence around a meadow to keep the cows from over grazing it anymore than it was.  I had the luxury of getting to chat with them several times throughout the day.  But as we were wrapping things up I got a truly special treat.

I don't know what caused the man to tell me, a stranger such a special story but I feel so blessed that he felt he could share.  I had caught him on several occasions gazing at the rocky outcropping on the other side of the canyon.  On a trip by with some fence testers he stopped me with an unbelievable tale that brought tears to my eyes.

Somewhere on near 40 years ago, his memory isn't what it used to be, was the year his father was killed.  He was out riding the canyon checking on cows.  He'd been depressed over losing his father and overwhelmed with having inherited the ranch.  The day was incredibly cloudy, the sun completely hidden from view.  When all of a sudden the clouds broke and a ray of sunshine lit on a rock.  There on the rock stood a man in white, his feet not touching anything.  He faced the man on the horse but stood pointing towards home.  The man knew his wife was further down the canyon and rushed to find her so he could show her this miracle.  He watched the man in white all the while.  When he finally reached his wife the sun was gone and so was the man.  In his heart he knew that was his father.

By this time tears were streaming quietly down my face and I couldn't have talked if I'd wanted to.  I couldn't process the enormity of what I had just heard.  How amazing!  When I could finally talk again I told him that must have been an incredibly special moment for him.  That it's unfathomable that people can not believe in anything when you hear stories like that.  I could tell from his expression that that moment was forever seared into his memory.  One final goodbye.  I still get teary eyed thinking about it.

The fact that this man whom I'd only just met felt comfortable enough with me to share something so special cemented within me that I'm doing what I should be doing.  I know we all wish to make a difference in life.  It's my goal to bridge a gap that some see as unattainable.  It could just be my ego, but I think that old man respected me for working right along with the men all day.  I don't have to change the opinions of thousands, but if I can make a change for the positive in a few I've done more than most.

Xo Loves,

Me