Heart Full

We're going to miss Jim on our daily walks

The past two months have been up and down on the emotional richter scale.  One day while walking by last month, Jim told us his wife had fallen in the night and he found her the next morning and when they examined her at the hospital they found she had had a stroke.  For the next two weeks we watched a dramatic change come over Jim.  He had been slowly ambling over his yard wishing he could do more and by the end of the 2 weeks he'd gone to sitting, sitting with a blanket, sitting with his feet up wrapped in blankets, to sitting with oxygen.  He would report how Madge was doing each day because his son would come everyday and bring him where he needed to go.
I went to Utah and when Laura and I went walking he told us she died.  Ahhh, he was so sad and so were we.  Two days later he threw away the oxygen and hardly used the walker.  I was hopeful that his heart was doing better and his legs were less swollen.  We visited for a little longer when we went by.  He seemed to be shaky on his feet and reported falling a few times.  We'd watch for his cane to hand to him when he showed us pictures on his walls and told us about his life.
I went to Texas to drive back with my daughter and found out Jim died the night I got back home.  Every time I leave something bad happens.
89 years old, married for 60 plus and left a heartbroken son and some very sad neighbors.

I wonder what he said when he met Madge again.

I wonder if he'll remember us and all his neighbors who loved him.