FRAYED ROPES Refelctions of Rick Back and Fourth

My Reflections of Rick continue. So many times during the day, I see something or hear something and I turn to whoever is near me, usually Jean who feels she knows him as well as I do because of all the stories I have told her, and say, "Oh there was a time that Rick......" or, "I remember when Rick....."

Rick did not handle sorrow real well. He was so full of fun and laughter and joy and smiles that when we did experience some form of sorrow, a death, the leaving of our pastor, dealing with a wrong decision by one of us or a kink in a relationship, Rick was saddened. He never wanted any of his friends to fail. He did not want any of his friends to be sad. He never wanted to see any of his friends to feel sorrow in their life. I mentiond to some people the other night, I think one reason that God took Rick so soon is that He wanted to spare him of feeling the way we all feel right now when members of his army of friends began to die. But those are my random thoughts.

Four very old friends got together after the service the other night. Two of his very oldest friends who grew up in the church we attended, Marcel and Floren Suetos, Pastor Fred Snider, who was our spiritual leader, and myself. Fred and I spent the entire service wiping our eyes. Oh those allergies in AZ. We sat in my living room and took turns telling Rick stories. So many laughs. Some stories we can share with you when you are old enough.

Fred reminded us that when Rick did well in RISK, oh the very few times he succeeded in that game, as he moved his armies into the country he just conquered, he would use his best James Coburn voice from the Magnificent 7, turned to his conquered friend and say, "You Lost".

I had many friends back then and have had many friends since. But my Magnificent 7 were Kenny, Floren, Marcel, Fred, Ricky, Rick and Joel. Like the original Mag 7, some have died. But we have overcome the bad guys and will be remembered for that.

Our lives were like the twine that weaves together to make a rope. Some of those pieces have become frayed by the useage. But the strength of that rope is greater than the weakness of any of its pieces. There was no glue to hold us together. The God of Creation, Grace and Forgiveness had wound us together to be strong.