Our awareness drive last year had its ups and downs because of the multiple hospital visits and my having to be admitted for being septic with a leg injury, so we are used to being sidetracked but nothing could have prepared us for the obstacle that came our way this year.
We are on the sixth day of our trip and we’ve had very little or no cell or internet reception for a week now, so we didn’t even get to post on our blog until the end of the week. I could have posted something very quick when we stopped at a gas station or stopped to eat, but I couldn’t bring myself to do it. The emotions I am feeling and/or what I want to try to share warrants more than a quick post. To be honest, I am not entirely sure how to express all the emotions that are going through me right now.
I can say that I’ve been so very blessed because I know there are many orphans and/or individuals who never knew their mother, and God not only blessed me with a great mom in Beth Young, but He apparently knew that she needed help when I would be visiting my father, during the summers.
Over 30 years ago, He let my path cross the Wilkerson family and since that summer they have truly treated me as if I was truly blood family.
There are so many things that come to mind from the time I said a curse word in front of Don, and I felt so horrible and apologized to him. He laughed so hard at me and then told me Hell wasn’t a curse word but that is where I’d go if I didn’t stop saying it. LOL! The funniest part is I was 25 when that happened and not a teen or younger. 😛
Again, there are so many things I can think of but right now I want to try to give an example of how special Clara was and always will be to our family.
Since I was 15, I wanted to leave Oklahoma. I used to always joke and say that it was the “Sooner State…The sooner I left the better,” so the day after I graduated, I left and since then I’ve lived all over. That didn’t matter though because Clara always stayed in-touch with me. While in the Air Force she would always mail me, boxes filled with fresh baked goodies. When I moved to Japan, she would still mail them to me. It became a tradition that I know she shared with many others, but it was something she loved, and she knew how much it meant to everyone. I guess you could say that I felt entitled for every year instead of waiting I would ask “Where are my goodies?” and she’d always laugh and say, “They are on their way.” Then when I moved back it was more of “Where are my goodies” and she’d respond with “Well if you would have come when you said you would, then you’d have them, but right now they are still in the freezer.” ☹ Sad but true. There were so many times that I’d plan on stopping by or going to visit and at the last minute I’d cancel or couldn’t do it. Clara never once gave me grief about it. She would tease me, but she was always so understanding.
One thing that I always found so funny is that when I would go to church with Don and Clara, or be at places where others that didn’t know me would show up people would always ask: “Who are you? How do you know Clara?” Clara would always speak up before me and say: “This is Mike, he’s our son.” I’m literally laughing as I type this because I can still picture so many “shocked” faces when she would say that. What makes it even funnier is she would just continue on like it was nothing and the person would always have that “huh? But ummmm?” look on their face. ???? That’s what led me to start referring to them as my foster parents. Legally, it’s not the truth but they are and will always be family to me.
I do wish that my mom and Clara could have met but they will one day in Heaven. Clara would always ask me how my mom was, and my mom always asks me how my other mom is doing. ????
We woke up early today and hit the road in hopes that we’d make it somewhere with signal, before the service started. At 8am Pacific we attempted to watch but had no luck. I did get to watch it about two hours ago and I just sat here and cried and laughed for as much as I wish I could have been there I know that Clara would have wanted us to keep doing what we are doing and raise awareness for Matthew since we are his voice.
Susan and I spoke, the day after she passed, and Susan asked: “You know what she’s doing right now don’t you?” I answered: “Yeah, she’s asking Don where he hid that Easter egg with the money in it since no one found it.” ???? She then said: “No! She’s cooking!” She is so right for I can see her with Don right now and instead of eating at the banquet, she’s cooking the food because she wants to and because everyone up there is so excited to have some good ole home cooking. ????
My wife and Clara hit it off too. They would talk on the phone and Clara always told me that I had a keeper and to not let her go and I agree with her there.
Be with your family as much as you can, for you never know when it will be your last visit until you see them in heaven.