My brother, Jack (actually my half-brother), was nine years older than me. I idolized him. He was a cross between Ricky Nelson and Elvis Presley. He was everything I wanted to be, good looking, successful, funny, everyone loved him. He even took me to my Senior Prom (after my boyfriend and I broke up) . No one knew he was my brother, but everyone thought I had a really hot date.
Early on Saturday, November 15, 1975, I got the phone call. Jack had been killed while on a hunting trip. The jeep had overturned and Jack was thrown out the back seat and killed instantly. I learned later the driver had been drinking.
I couldn’t believe it. We had just spoken a few days earlier and looked forward to Thanksgiving. He had a wife … a young daughter … a wonderful life … everyone loved him. I was devastated.
It was left to me to tell my mother and grandmother what had happened. Telling them, seeing their faces, was one of the hardest things I’ve ever done. It was torture. What I didn’t know then was how this tragedy would prepare me for the future.
My brother’s death was my first experience with sudden loss and I didn’t like it. But looking back, I see God was there … He was working on me … He was guiding my steps.
Over time I learned what a righteous man of God my brother had become. His favorite hymn, was “How Great Thou Art,” he would open business meetings with prayer; and a few short weeks before his death he made amends, reconciling broken relationships in his own life. Did he know he was going to die soon? I’m not sure, but today I believe the closer we are to God, the more we are prepared for anything that comes our way.
Tagged: Thanksgiving
