Beth

Recently I received a Thank You note from a friend now living in Pickens County, SC. Most of her life was spent in nearby Lake View where her parents were educators and she, Beth, was a remarkable asset to that small Dillon County town. She was a library volunteer who might not give rise in your estimation of her importance but then you must not know the great influence that Beth cast on the community of book lovers there.

The End Of A Friendship

The last column I wrote about my friend was entitled AN UNLIKELY FRIEND. I met him while visiting in local nursing homes where he was spending his last few weeks of life. It has been said that everyone we meet becomes a part of us, and my departed friend proved this to me.

Surprise

When this story was told to me I immediately thought of the Bible (Prodigal Son) story recorded in the New Testament, 15th chapter of Luke and in particular the concluding verse (v. 32), “…for this thy brother was dead and is alive again…”
The ‘brother’ in this story was a classmate of mine who upon graduation was awarded an athletic scholarship to Wofford College where he was a member of an Army ROTC unit and upon graduation was commissioned as an officer.