Tommy Died

Last night, this world lost an incredible man. His name was Tommy Ferguson. He was the son of some very dear friends of my parents. He was an inspiration to me, although I didn't realize it until I was well into adulthood. You see, Tommy taught me to appreciate the little things in life! A fireplace hearth made a great stage, and a guitar only had to have two or three strings to perform. You don't have to know all the words to a song...just sing Ring of Fire over and over and you transform into Johnny Cash! He taught me to notice little but important things like the ability to spread out all five fingers. That means something special to someone born with webbed fingers that had to be surgically separated. He taught me that when given a new coat, maybe the right response is to say "I need a hat!" Mostly he taught me that there is a lot of pleasure in just loving people with no motive beyond just loving. That was Tommy's lifelong testimony. Rest in peace, my friend. It should come quite naturally, because you lived, worked, and simply existed in peace. Peace and love are your legacy, and they far overshadowed the Down Syndrome you were born with. I'm proud to have called you my friend. ~~This excerpt was written by a young friend of mine.  Tommy was everyone’s friend.  Growing up, he was the brother of my two best friends.  We always included Tommy though he didn’t always want to be included with all the girls.  Tommy was seven years younger than me and he kept us all laughing all the time.  His humor was contagious.  The legacy he left behind was a legacy of love.  When I told my husband, Tommy died, his response was, “He was well loved. “  The world would be a peaceful place if there were more Tommy’s in the world.  Spread your wings and fly Tommy you are no longer encumbered. 

Challenge: SSS Spread your Wings Monday~~Word Art Wednesday #266