REMEMBERING LARRY SHEDENHELM

      Has it really been seven years since my brother, Larry, passed on? No, it doesn't seems possible, but on July 23, 2010, my younger brother, Larry, joined my youngest brother, Randy, and our father, in death. Larry was a good man and I miss him dearly. As we reared our families and built our separate careers, I often wished that I could've made the polished, professional impression that Larry did. He dressed impeccably and he always seemed to be in control of himself. He was direct and honest, but soft-spoken. He listened more than he talked. He was strong, but measured, and while he wasn't a "bleeding heart," no man ever loved his family more than he did.

      Larry was committed to doing the right thing and leaving a mark on this world that others would be proud of... and he did just that. If life was "fair," Larry would be alive today. He would be retired now... tending to his backyard and still loving his kids and their kids. If life was fair, Larry would still be the family's number 1 grill-master, and he and I would have even more time to golf. He was always a better golfer that I was, but I enjoyed every minute of our time together. If he were alive today, my world would be richer, and I know that this is true for everyone who loved him... and especially for his immediate family. If Larry was a live today, we could share our love for the grocery business, tell the old stories about our growing up, and solve the world's problems (which we didn't always see in exactly the same way).
      But life isn't fair... and Larry is not with us anymore. It's a sad thing, but within that sadness, there are countless moments of joy that still make me smile. There are also memories that live on and on and on, just as Larry does in his Creator's hands. Before he died, I asked Larry if he thought he would see our brother, Randy, on the other side... and Larry said that he didn't know if he would "see" Randy or not, but he believed that he would feel Randy's presence and "know" that he "was there." Well, even though I'm educated in such things, I don't actually know much about life after... what we call... death... because I haven't been there. But I do know that there is joy and peace wherever God is, and I know that God's love is much bigger and much stronger that anything we have ever even imagined. And I've learned that God, the promise-maker, is very much a "promise-keeper." In short, I trust God and I  believe that my brother, Larry, has already seen His face.
      Larry, I think about you often- sometimes when I'm just driving along the road, sometimes when I hit drive just about as far as you would've hit it, and every time, when I see a Facebook posting of my nephews and niece, and their growing families. The little ones who ran to you in 2010 are bigger now and there are new, little ones... who will never get to have that joy. But they're doing well because they hang together and because they are also in God's hands! I miss you deeply. You were not only my brother, You were my best friend. Love you, K.