An "OLD" friend's Post

My name is Bob Wynne. I’m an old friend of Tom’s, both in length of tooth and length of service. We met in 1965, as incoming freshmen at St. Joseph’s High School in Alameda. Later that year we became friends as teammates on the tennis team. Tom has been a true friend ever since.

Saturday evening, after I received Elizabeth’s invitation to participate in the blog for Tom, I sat at the computer trying to put together something coherent; words that would evoke some small part of Tom’s Spirit in those of us who knew him. I was being hit with so many memories, experiences and feelings. It was almost as if it is I was watching my own life passing in front of my eyes. When I realized that that was what I was doing, I decided to call it a night, sleep on it, take a long bike ride and try to sort it all out.

The bike ride on Sunday brought me a major dose of synchronicity, which sorted out a lot of things, including this post to the blog.

On Friday, I had allotted time for a long bike ride (one of our joys) just to think about Tom and his passing. What I took away from “all” that thinking were the final lines from Bob Dylan’s song, “You’re Gonna Make Me Lonesome When You Go.” I thought it a loving sentiment, a fine good-bye to my friend.

"Yer gonna have to leave me now, I know
But I’ll see you in the sky above
In the tall grass, in the ones I love
Yer gonna make me lonesome when you go"

The act of letting Tom go really hit me hard. It made me feel very sad and lonesome. Before I let Tom go, I “asked” him if he would continue to show me things I miss in that “tall grass.” That was one of the joys of hiking or biking with Tom. He always seemed to find interesting things that I might miss and be able to tell me all about them. I often wished to be hiking with Tom when I came upon something new. So he would be there with the answers.

On my ride Sunday, as I was climbing up Tunitas Creek Road, off to my right about 20 feet down the embankment from the road, in the midst of the shadows, there, “like an angel standing in a shaft of light,” was a beautiful lily plant. I thought of Friday’s request and decided that “maybe” Tom was pointing it out to me. I stopped, went back and climbed down to take a picture of the lily. It made me smile a sad but satisfying smile thinking of Tom.

As I was ready to climb back up the embankment, I was drawn to one of the other lilies on the plant. I bent over for a closer look and found an insect nestled among the pistil and stamen of the flower. I thought, “Who do you know that would point out something like this to you?” Only Tom! I smiled, chuckled to myself and felt an overwhelming sense of calm and gratitude.

I plan to post some more in the days ahead.