Evelyn Dove Coleman: A Perspective...
Years ago, as I saw the tears at the end of former President George W. Bush's tribute to his late father, former President George H.W. Bush, I related to that son. His father died at the age of 94, and my father, William Lee Dove, died at the age of 94. Ninety-four seems like a long life such as Psalm 91 promises. But it still can feel way too short.
I was comforted as Bush said something like, "As we grieve, let us be reminded that dad is again hugging Robin and holding mama's hand." Robin was the daughter who died at age 3. That reminded me of what I thought when my own father passed in 2015. I knew he was joining my oldest brother Bobby who died after years of suffering with PTSD from the Vietnam War. And I knew that my father was reunited with his beloved wife Jett to whom he had been married for 55 years when she died in 1998.
George H.W. Bush was described as smart, kind, witty, and a man devoted to service. He gave his minister a plaque with the inscription, "Preach Christ at all times. When necessary, use words." What a message. We must let our lights so shine that people see our good works and glorify God, which is in Heaven, per Matthew 5:16. For all good things do come from God.
My father was smart, kind, witty, and a man devoted to service also. He was a role model to his younger siblings, his children, and to his grandchildren. His book, "With All My Love," details how he and his brother Guy bought Dove Farm on Briary Run Road in Kinston in 1948 to move their parents and younger siblings away from share-cropping in Jones County. He encouraged all of us to stay healthy and to save more than we spend. He didn't have a retreat in Kennebunkport like George Bush, but he built an Oasis.
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