Bob is a wonderful man that I met in 2009.  He would come to our food distribution each week, with his fellow Vietnam Vets. I always looked forward to seeing him and his buddies.  Bob had a lot of pain he had to deal with everyday, due to injuries that occured while serving our country.   Each week, when he would come to get food from Bridge of Hope, I would always go out to where he was standing, and see how he was doing.  We would end our conversations holding hands and asking God to take his pain away.

One day, he showed up at distribution, with a concerned look in his eye.  He told me that they had found cancer. Unfortunately, the cancer had all ready spread, and there was no procedure to be planned.  The cancer would just have to run it’s course.  Bob was going to die.

Pretty quickly, Bob could no longer make his way to Bridge of Hope.  So, for the last two years, every Friday, I would bring his food to him.  It was obvious, each week that the cancer was taking over. However, our conversations were always wonderful and being with him was very special for me.  No matter how bad the pain throughout his body, and the radical deterioration of his fingers and toes, he was always positive, upbeat and thankful for every moment. Truly a inspiration.

Before saying goodbye we would hold hands, and pray for God to heal him and take his pain away.

After Nathan died, I did not see him for six weeks….. I called him to let him know what had happened, and told him I would come soon.  I went last Friday. Six weeks had made a huge difference from the last time I saw him.  His body ravaged by cancer and  he was in a great deal of pain.   I sat at his feet on the floor.  We talked,  and laughed a bit…. I could tell he was very close to leaving this earth.  I looked up to him and said, “You are going to see my son soon.”  He said, ” Yes , and I am really looking forward to it.”  I said, ‘ You are going to love him.  Hug him for me, and tell him I love him. Let him know you are my friend.”

The feeling I had, could be described by a term I heard recently,  Thin Space.  I felt like I was near heaven,  being with Bob. Like the feeling between me and heaven was closer and the divider was thinner, because I was with a friend, who was going to be there very soon. He will be with my son, who I want to touch and see so badly.  His frail, and cancer worn body was somehow so beautiful and comforting to me.  He was nearer to being with my son than I was. It felt so good to be with him.

That next Tuesday, Bob took a turn for the worse.  They moved him from his home to the VA Hospital.  I went to the hospital. Bob could hear me but was not responding to my voice.  I sat and spoke to him anyway, ” Bob, you are going home soon.”   He opened his eyes, looked over at me, and closed them again.

I sat in the thin space for as long as I could.  Feeling closer to heaven and my boy as I sat with him . I didn’t want to leave.

I will miss him.