Thou art dust and to dust thou shalt return

Thursday was a day full of emotions around here. It was a day of celebrating a new life coming into our family in June.  It was also a day of feeling the sadness of someone you love moving to their next home.

The day started out with a call from our youngest daughter who lives in Little Rock. She wanted to know if we had anything planned or could she come over and spend the night. We had nothing planned (and if we had, we would have changed those plans) so she came over. I decided not to tell her dad that she was coming and surprise him when we picked him up from work. It was a huge surprise and the look on his face was priceless when she walked in his office. We caught up on the news from Little Rock. She filled us in on what was going on in her life, how her brother was doing and about his son, our youngest grandchild. Then we talked about how she and our next grandchild to be born were doing. Mom and baby are healthy and happy and we feel blessed that is the case. She and I looked through the baby clothes patterns I have and the fabric I’ve accumulated and decided what she’d like me to make for him. It was a great day and we stayed up way to late visiting.

A spot on the afternoon news brought sadness to me and many others in the Memphis area. I was reminded of the nine words I had heard the day before when receiving our ashes. Thou art dust and to dust thou shalt return. Those nine words remind us that our lives here on earth are a short stay until it’s time for us to move on to our heavenly home. After a year and half battle with leukemia, Memphis radio personality John “Bad Dog” McCormack passed away. Bad Dog, as he was known to his faithful listeners, was a man with a heart as big as Texas. He was the guy who would give you the shirt off his back if he thought you needed it more. His friend and partner on the Bad Dog and Ric Show on Rock 103, Ric Chetter said in an interview yesterday that Danny Thomas built St. Jude but Bad Dog build the Ronald McDonald House. For 20 years, Bad Dog spearheaded the Ronald McDonald House radiothon raising millions of dollars for the kids. This year he was sick when it was time for the radiothon but he wouldn’t hear of doing anything for himself till after the telethon.

Thursday morning John went into a coma and Thursday afternoon he passed over from this life. Memphis will miss this man who meant so much too so many people. I know I will miss hearing his cheery voice when I wake up every morning. He left a note in the hands of a trusted friend to be released if he should die. His last words to us show the kind of man he was.

"I have gone to be with God and he is holding me tightly and I am surrounded by many of the Ronald McDonald House kids. Do not say you have lost a friend. One is only lost when you don't know where they are.. you know where I am.

I thank each and every one of you for your support and prayers. I love all of you and that will never go away. When you are having a bad day, think of my laugh or a Twilight Phone or the time we met. None of us is guaranteed tomorrow; make every day great, be the spiritual leader of your family. May peace be with you. Your friend, Bad Dog."