Remembering Ron

Wednesday I kept thinking, "I can't believe it's been a year since Anita called me and told me he didn't make it".

All my life I wanted a big brother. I grew up with three younger ones. Every neighborhood we lived in was filled with kids-but the girls were either too much older or too much younger to be good playmates. Which left the boys. My age or my brothers ages, it didn't much matter. But there were times I wanted an older brother to fight the battles I found myself taking on to protect or defend the "little ones." 

When I was in early elementary school I rode a bus to school. Up the road from us lived a family with a crew of boys. One day after school it was cold and I didn't have my jacket or the one I had one wasn't warm enough. A boy gave me his coat to wear until we got on the bus. I don't remember his name, but I do remember the warm feeling of being protected by someone stronger than I was. 

When we moved to Grayson in 1988 I got my big brother. His name was Ron Lindeman. It's funny how God works. Turns out he was one of the boys of that crew that lived up the road from me when I was a child. In Barberton Ohio. 300 miles away from Grayson KY. We took the same bus to and from school. I think he may have been the boy who sacrificed so I would be warm. It definitely wouldn't have been out of character for him. He never outgrew that desire to protect and seve. 

Oh how I miss him. I have been sad that I don't have any pictures of us together. I mentioned it to Sarah and she said mom, there is one. I've seen it. She looked for an hour. I looked for a while, quit and came back and tried a different avenue. Look at the 2 gifts I found!

 

The picture below may be the last time I saw him. 

He was working on my refrigerator door, 

 after he, Anita went to supper. (And probably Walmart.)

I am so thankful God allowed our paths to cross again for awhile.

I love you brother.