It was just about this time on a wintry morning two years ago today when six kids, one grandchild, a son-in-law, and a wife of 49.5 years stood holding hands around a hospital bed, praying together. And, saying good bye.
Our dad, grandfather, father-in-law, and husband of 49.5 years had moved on. We figured he'd grabbed his hat, his spurs, his Bull Durham, climbed on his beloved Appaloosa stallion, Ol' Toby and had ridden off into a beautiful Western sunset.
That was the last day Harold Tibbs lived on this earth. And, until that day, I could not speak with much knowledge of the statement suggesting that people do live on. Two years later, Harold lives on in the hearts, minds, eyes and ears of all of us who knew him and loved him.
To each of us, the images differ. I'm sure for the six siblings, thoughts of deer, roll-yer-owns, tractors, horses, and hunting rifles fit in there somewhere. In my own case, I've got a shrine just a few feet away from my computer. It's all things Appaloosa and Native American---both heartfelt passions of Harold's.
To the grandson that represented his contemporaries in that hospital room, it's beans and wooden nickels. The last advice I ever heard Willie give to his grandfather a few days before he died had been uttered a time or two whenever Willie and Harold parted company, "Don't stick any beans up your nose, or don't take any wooden nickels."
In Bill's case, as representative of the in-laws, the repertoire of stories Harold had shared with him, while the two sat visiting in the living rooms of Boyer and Center Valley houses, provided my husband with invaluable local history. These days, Bill shares Harold stories with his forestry and logger friends. Of course, the better ones deal with Harold's outdoor experiences as a logger and hunter in the Bonners Ferry area where he grew up.
For Mother, I cannot even begin to fathom the magnitude of how her days since his passing have been marked by reflections of when Harold did this or said that. Today she will visit his grave to add some flowers. She's figuring cloth flowers from Ben Franklin may work because she doesn't want the deer to come and nibble up fresh bouquets from the vases on the monument.
But then again, if those deer were to come visiting and do something like that, I don't think Harold would mind one bit. He'd have just one more story to share with his buddies in Cowboy Heaven.
1 comment:
Thank you, Marianne, for bringing my attention to your blog today. Reading your article about Harold brings back a lot of lifetime memories. I have a steady flow of sentimental tears as I recall my childhood growing up with the Tibbs family. I spent as much time with their family as my own. Because of Harold's influence, I learned to be a great horseman and to have strong family values. I would like to expand on repeating Harold's line that he used so frequently, "Don't take any wooden nickels and keep your nose clean". As I sit here writing, I feel his presence and appreciate having Harold as a strong influence and part of my soul. Thank you, Harold, for your part in making me a good man and teaching me to "keep my nose clean". -Monty Collison
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