A life well lived

A Life Well Lived

"Come on Bobby! Let's go down to the pond and play!" she yelled to him. Emily had been his best friend back then.

The family took turns holding vigil out in the waiting room. One at a time, they would go in and hold the old man's hand. It wouldn't be long now.

"Of course I'll marry you!" Emily had been a twenty-five year old grad student at State. Bobby remembered how happy she had made him.

A nurse excused herself as she came in and checked the chart at the foot of the bed. After making a few notes, she quietly replaced the chart and left to continue her rounds.

"It's a girl!" Bob had exclaimed. Little Cathy was to be the first of five children that he and Emily would raise together.

The family gathered around the doctor as he broke the news. It was not a surprise to find that the end was very near.

"I'm so proud of you son" Bob said to John after the graduation ceremony. He and Emily had just finished putting the last of their five kids through school. Now it was time for them to relax a little.

They all stood around the bed holding hands. He seemed to be smiling. No one noticed the small contradictory tear.

"Ashes to ashes, dust to dust..." Bob barely heard the words as his beloved Emily was put to rest. The entire clan was there, including fourteen grandchildren.

"Beep...beep.....beep.............beep.......eeeeeeeeeeeeeee" the tone said it all. They had thought they were all cried out, but they were wrong. The finality brought on a new onslaught of tears. Their rock of Gibraltar had left them at last.

"Bobby! Where have you been! I have been waiting for you! Let's go down to the pond and play."

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