Richard my Hero

A year before Richard passed away, I had the opportunity to thank him and to let him known I thought of him as my hero.
When we were kids we had went down to the creek to go swimming. It was very hot and it had been raining, and the creek banks were full and the water was swift. Richard was about 14 years of age and I was about 7. It seems like there were six of us kids down at the swimming hole that day. I do recall being told not to wade out, stay close to the bank. I was playing around and waded out to far, the water started carrying me down stream. As I struggling to hold my head up, I glanced over to my left and there was Richard running along the bank, he dove in and pulled me out of the water.
Nothing was ever said about that day, until last year. Richard had come down to his best friend Fran’s house, to stay a few days. I went up to Fran’s to see Richard, as I came through the door he came over and give me a hug and a kiss. We talked for a while and finely I said, you are my hero, and he looked at me kind of funny, like he didn’t know what I meant, I said you saved me from drowning when we were kids didn’t you? He looked at me and smiled as he said, “yes I saved your little ass.”
I will always remember those words, with that big grin on his face saying, I saved your little ass.
Thanks for the memories brother Richard, I love and miss ya.
Take the opportunity to let people know you love them, life is too short.


By Vivian Foote
July 29, 2011