Something this year that I can't soon forget is the loss of Doug and Elaine Blackhurst. My mom called me on the afternoon of July 3rd and said that she just wanted to let me know that Doug and Elaine had died in a plane crash. They had gone on a little plane for fun to kickoff the fourth of July weekend, and the most tender thing was that they called my parents on the plane to let them know that they were going over their house, and that they were waving. Doug and Elaine were kind of a staple in all of our lives. They had always been around and and we always thought they would continue to be. I couldn't believe my ears after hearing the news and cried as soon as I got off the phone. I recall the conversations I had with my mom the following few days recalling some memories and I will remember she said of Elaine, "I always felt good about myself after being around her." Isn't that all you would want in a good friend. We still see Doug all the time singing with the Mo Tab especially this year because they haven't been singing because of Covid. I ended up writing this poem for my parents.
Dear Friends
Crying and trying
To pull up
All the memories I ever saved
That included you.
Only to conclude:
Your goodness, your laughter, your presence
Could change the mood.
In any room.
At really any time.
The world with such a loss
But, in heaven-
What a gain!
To have you
Both.
With a friendship that can remain
In tact.
In fact-
Even when my questions begin with
Why
They still end with
Hope
A testiment of how you both lived
Making it easier to cope
Oh, how lucky
To call you dear friends.
The friends you could
Laugh and cry with
Just the same
I’m so happy you came
Into my life.
To put it simply
You inspired me.
As we laughed, learned
And studied
You will sing the harmony
You’ll always be
Those friends.
Your lives were so full
With so many plans
But I suppose now
You understand
Why.
You can see all
The people you’ve loved
The lives you have changed
You can see
The long road of goodness
You’ve been paving
We will miss you.
And never go by
Without waving.
