I’m so glad I got a chance a couple of weeks ago to give Tom a call. He told me via text that I could give him a call but that he would only be able to talk for about 10 min. due to his breathing issues and his medication making him very tired. So, I called him up, and an hour and 45 minutes later, we said our goodbyes. We reminisced about fun times, dogs, hunting spots and our favorite guns over the years. He was in a very good mood, I could tell he was very happy and more importantly….more than ready for the inevitable. His demeanor when talking about death was very calm, relaxed, confident and he was not scared in the slightest. I was in awe of his strength and attitude.
Since that conversation we texted back and forth a bit, and he remained strong and upbeat. He did mention on several occasions that the pain was pretty intense, but never complained. For those of you that either met him or knew him, the word Tough or describing him as a big manly type man would not have been words used to describe Tom. What a mistake that was. The manner in which he approached, dealt with, and accepted his fate is one of the manliest, toughest things I’ve ever seen. Bravo Tom.
I hope when he closed his eyes for last time in this world and opened them for the first time in the next, the first thing he saw were his beloved setters running full speed to greet him in paradise.
RIP Tom.
