ARCHIVE LIBRARY

The Passing of a Friend

by Ron Cook

It is always sad when a relative or a friend passes on from this life. It is especially poignant when a special friend, who has touched us deeply, passes. Lennie James Clouatre was this type of remarkable human being. Lennie passed on June 15, 2019.

You may recall, I featured Lennie in the first of the series on “Everyday Heroes” in May. Lennie was the first person who came to mind as a true everyday hero. Lennie suffered major injuries from a boating accident that he would endure for the last 43 years of his life. Father Dan writes:
“Saint Lennie passed today …

We were in contact with a true Saint
Over 43 years of long suffering

‘If we don’t transform our pain
We will transfer it to others.’ (Richard Rohr)

Wow what a tremendous individual

Always thinking of others
Optimistic
Grateful
Faithful
He wasn’t resentful
Didn’t blame others
So many unbelievable life issues
Rejection
Betrayal
Forgotten
Loneliness
Watched his parents die
Months and months in the hospital over the years…”

Today, I would like to reflect on these Moses-People we meet on our tour-de-life.
I have met many. I am sure you could make your own list. My definition of a Moses person is someone you meet; you travel with them for a time; you learn much from them; and then you both go your separate ways. I have met these MPs in Michigan, Colorado, Texas, Arizona, on planes, in grocery stores, and just about everywhere in the friendliest state I’ve ever lived … Louisiana. The time we spend with them may be as brief as an hour or as long as years, but their impact on our life lasts forever.

You don’t have to be old to have known a Moses-Person. They could have been your neighbor you spent hours with playing games, building “forts,” or just hanging-out talking. They could have been college friends, factory buddies or business colleagues. They could have been a teacher, a pastor or someone you met on a vacation. They could have been an early romance, a later life romance, or a friend who has just remained a good friend after a few dates. I have friends in all of these areas. I am sure many of you have found Moses People in even more different situations.

I want to remember these people. I want to let them know what they have meant to me. Lennie loved the story I did on his life. I feel so fortunate to have celebrated him in his “living years.” I am encouraged to do this more with my MPs. I would like to encourage you to do this, as well. The rewards for you, as well as your Lennie-MPs, are enormous.

Rest in peace my, dear friend…

 

Friendship

“Friendship is a fragile thing, yet has the courage to take wing
…and then come fluttering home…”

A friend is someone special,
Rare in life to find,
Yet rarely stays within our grasp,
As through our life we wind.

But always something special,
Remains where friends have dwelt,
That lives within our inner self,
As real and always felt.

A friend will find our essence,
A friend will know us well,
A friend will touch our joyous parts,
A friend will ring our bells.

And lo they leave our presence,
They never leave our hearts,
dwell in the holy chambers,
Where every heartbeat starts.

They stay within our conscience,
They stay within our minds,
They help us hold our dearest truths,
They mirror us through time…

Ronald Cook

 

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