I think that there is nothing like an unexpected treat. Like when you get an old pair of pants out of the closet and discover a twenty dollar bill tucked away in the pocket or when you open the refrigerator and find that your teenage son didn't eat all of the leftover pizza but left a piece wrapped up with your name on it. Well, this morning I had an unexpected treat...I received an email from one of my oldest friends. As I sat eating my breakfast, I read his note and I was immediately transplanted back in time to when he and I were growing up. We were inseparable during our Little League days and throughout our teenage years. Over the years, my children have been treated to stories about the antics of Bill Kirby and Ronnie Whitacre. These stories have now become folklore with our kids and I am sure that those same stories will be passed onto their children as they tell them stories about Pappy.
As time moved on we lost track of one another. My wife and I moved out of the area and we went about building a life of our own away from the mountains of Western Maryland. When we would return to the area, I would always drive by the house where he grew up. Each time a thousand memories would flood my mind of growing up in Cumberland. But for some reason we never really reached out to contact each other. I'm not sure why.
In his message he said, "Old friends never die, they just fade away sometimes." As I sat there thinking about those words, I was reminded of a quote by the English Scholar, John Seldon, who wrote, "Old friends are best." Even though I haven't seen my old friend for a long time, all I have to do is close my eyes and I can remember how it was spending time at Constitution Park or playing sports or just hanging out with my best friend... They were some of the happiest times of my life.
So, here's to you, Mr. Whitacre...thanks for reaching out and giving me an unexpected treat. Sometimes God brings special people back into your life for a reason. I can't wait to see what God has in store of the two of us.
Be Well.
