Earlier today, I went upstairs from my room at The Colonnades to visit with my friend R.B.. I hadn't been able to have seen him for a time, but made it a point to do so today. I brought with me my new Texas A&M Aggie Family t-shirt, that my son gave me. I wanted to let R.B. know that my son would be attending A&M in the Fall, and that he and I would be of the same Family. In the short 6 months I had known him, that was one of the things we talked about; his family and Texas A&M.
After I got down to his room, noticed his name missing, along with his easy chair, I asked two nurses if he had moved to another room. I sensed hurt in their voices, when they told me what had happened, but I also detected love and respect, too.
I lost a friend that touched my life in the short amount of time I knew him, that other friends of mine never have. He was (and will continue to be) an inspiration to me watching him do his exercises 4 times a day, walking through the hallways. I'd salute him as he'd go by me, wearing his 3rd Infantry Division cap, which his cap was the reason I first ever spoke to him. There would be days I'd stop in for a visit to talk about the books he was reading, listen to his stories of when he was a policeman, and of course, hear the stories of his family history. He was so very proud of all of you. Being 30 years younger than him, his stories were always cool to listen to.
God Bless the Sanford family, and especially my friend, R.B.