Sleep My Love

"And He Sleeps"
David was so tired yesterday, he came home about 230. I was finishing up dinner but he was sound asleep by the time he sat down. I woke him a little after 3:00 and we ate dinner.

He comes to the kitchen counter and says, "Isn't it time we took a nap?" I told him, "go ahead, it is too late for me or I will never sleep tonight."
He did, Next thing I hear is deep snoring from the bedroom.
I finished cleaning the kitchen, mopped all the floors, anything to stay busy.
I kept hearing him yelp  out, I would run down the hall and he was sound asleep.
About 6 :00 he came into the living area and sat down, He had no more than sat until I looked over and again he was asleep.
Suddenly he began shivering and moaning. I woke him, (he does not recall any of this).
I pulled out  a winter coverlet and covered him. He slept.
Finally at 730, he woke up, pretty much.
I watched "Dance Moms Reunion" He went back to sleep. He woke again to watch DWTS.
I left the room to check out messages. As I walked back in later, He was --------------------------
Asleep.

This pain he lives in daily is wearing him down. I talked to Lou last night and Coy is going down pretty fast. Retha is not well or not as well as she could be. She is 71, Coy is 72, David is 74.
That is why they were always the "Three Musketeers" They had each other, Not much else but they looked out for each other.
I have a feeling that when one goes, they will all follow soon after.
David says, "I  hope I am last, I don't want the others to grieve over me. "
He makes everything a joke.

They truly watched  out for each other, When Ret was a little girl,  (She was about 5, David would be 8 and Coy 7) She was the look out while Coy broke into homes and stole things. She was to whistle, She could not whistle. When the three get together the stories of their youth follow.
We laugh and laugh. This was babies stealing.
However one day, Coy stole a beautiful one of a kind bracelet, Retha gave it to Wynell, the older sister, who happened to be dating a cop.
Yep you got it, their little scheme was found out.
Coy said, "I used to steal pocket knives every time I went to town, I would run home, go into the attic and drop them down an opening in the wall."
Wouldn't it be great to open that wall someday?
He said, "I don't know why I stole them, I just did."
Those three kids ran amok and now they are much respected adults, held down great jobs and Truly Love God.
I can see David now , covering his face as he laughs about some of the things they did. He laughs and laughs.

Walking the pipe line under the Sacramento River Bridge in Red Bluff.
 Why? Because they could.
He and Coy were under the bridge, walking and talking and laughing, when suddenly they look up and see Dad. uh oh. Grandpa Mac said, "Hey come here sons,Come to daddy."  Remember David was not 12 years old yet. As soon as they got to Daddy, they got a lashing.

Jim walked that pipeline too, In the War years the curfew was 10 o'clock or so. CB was out and he was drunk. Jim went to find him. To avoid detection, he walked the pipeline with CB on his shoulders.
That is amazing and one for the books. Jim was very strong and would put his life on the line to save his brothers. Amazing.

My favorite story they tell is their hunting stories from Arkansas.
They were hunting Hogs, Arkansas Razorbacks. Suddenly they heard a pack coming, A pack of hogs will eat you alive. One of the guys with them had one bullet in his gun.
David grabbed a tree and climbed up as fast as he could. Coy also grabbed a tree.
Their friend was stuck. As David reached the top, the tree bent back over to the ground. Coy was laughing so hard, he forgot to look at his predicament. He was only inches off the ground.
Here they both are, Life is in danger and they are laughing at one another.
That is Brotherly Love.
Oh their friend, He used his one bullet and killed or maimed one of the hogs, the other hogs then began eating the hurt hog and the guys skedaddled out of there.

Oh there are so many stories. We must get them back together and hear more. We must, We must.

So as he sleeps I look at him and remember the Young Man I married, the young man who woke early, went to bed late, played pac man on his knees, who climbed trees to get mistle toe for me and who stood in the middle of a road in Fort Smith Arkansas and teased tarantulas.
The man who on weekends, played football with his sons, and ALWAYS ended up with a sprained ankle. a man who loves everyone unconditionally.
He is still quite a man, but he is the most godly man I know.,