Our connections to those we know

On a regular basis we use a drive-through pickup in Cape Girardeau, and we have to identify who we are by name and birthday. After bunches of times at the window, those inside begin to kind of know who we are. This one gal, though, is special simply because we have the exact same birthday except I'm about 30 years her senior. It's a connection.

A couple weeks ago, a friend we have known since moving to Scott City passed away rather suddenly. Pat was only 70. The family had a celebration of life service, and family and friends came to show their love for her. After we got home, Marge asked me if I wanted the remembrance card and I said I did. As I looked at it later that evening I noticed that Pat's birthday was only a few days away from mine. I always liked Pat. There was always a kind of connection like special friends.

Kind of weird isn't it? Bet you have noticed the same thing. I grew up in the Sandhills of Nebraska where cattle outnumber people by a bunch. There is something about growing up in those Sandhills that just gets in your heart and soul and never leaves. We have lived longer here in Missouri then in Nebraska, but I'd have to say my heart is still in the Sandhills. Don't get me wrong because I really like living in Scott City. And it's home. But my real home will always be the Sandhills. They say once you have sand in your shoes from the Sandhills you just never get away from it. Might be true.

On your journey through life, you get to know this one person, and you end up calling them a friend. And as your friendship grows a connection begins to form between you two. You two can be both men or women or even mixed. Really doesn't matter. But there is a bond or a connection there that goes beyond words. You two may not even agree on anything whatsoever, but the bond or connection is there. Kind of weird, but it's real. I met an old feller from Haywood City, Mr. Blackman, and for whatever reason I took a liking to that old feller. He liked to garden about as much as I do. But our friendship went beyond that. Be darned if he didn't pass away. Miss the old feller. Every now and then I drive by where he's buried and say hello.

We have 10 steers right now, and one of them Marge calls Pizza. Come to find out after we got him home Marge discovered that his name was written on his nametag: Pizza. He is a pretty gentle steer, and he likes being fed cake by hand, and he enjoys being petted. Turns out our puppy, Grace, and Pizza have developed a friendship. When Grace is close to the fence with Pizza, they both make an effort to say hello and lick noses. Why? Don't have a clue. But it's there. So now as Grace gets older and Pizza grows I wonder where their friendship will go. I guess if we need to we could keep a steer back from being butchered just because Grace and him are friends. Pizza would make a nice pet but then he's kind of big to be a pet.

But then I have a couple special coffee cups that I enjoy drinking coffee from. Also have this one soup cup that I like to use. Same with pens and pencils and coats and even shoes. Kind of get attached in some way but not sure why.

Back through the past 15 to 20 years I've packed the same NIV leather bound Bible. I've marked in it and highlighted the texts with a colored making pencil. But as I've aged and had cataract surgery it's harder to read the small print so I've gone to a large print leatherbound Bible. It's a good Bible, and it's starting to mean more to me as I mark and use it, so maybe in 10 years it might take the place of my old marked up NIV.