Coat of Many Colors

Yesterday I found out about this brick that is in a memorial walk of a Smithfield Church. Beginning the night of the funeral I learned that I had been wearing blinders concerning Lido's life at school. Lido was very popular with adults. I never noticed that he did not seem to have many friends his own age. I was in awe of everything that he had over come. He was born with cerebral palsy, a useless right arm and a very weak right leg. His speech was thick and heavy. His syntax something that he made up as he went along, and he was in Special Education from preschool until the day that he died.

Yet he had the courage to the the first one to get on, and often be thrown off the first wild mustangs that he and I trained. He made his body rock hard and by age 16 could run five miles at the speed of a high school track team member. He was a smart, scheming business man that could turn one dollar into five dollars faster than any kid that I have ever known.

Like Dolly Parton in the great song that she wrote about the patchwork coat that her mother made for her, I only saw the beauty. I really did not know what a struggle some days were for him at school as he faced taunting for being a "stupid cripple that can't even talk right." It never occurred to me that the inspiration of so many people could be the object of scorn by others in his life.

Noah knew about that side. Noah was the best friend that Lido ever had. Noah knew the Lido that I knew and he stood up for him at school. Noah did not allow people to taunt his best friend. Noah looked out for Lido and Lido introduced Noah to the woods. They rode bikes and roamed around and eventually began hunting together. I think that Noah probably learned a bit about physical courage and confidence from Lido.

Noah was hunting with Lido on 12-29-08. He was only a few feet away when Lido pulled the gun from his gun rack. Lido had to do such tasks with one hand. He was hurrying to get the gun out to get in position to get a shot at a deer that was coming up from the woods behind the Little House. As Lido pulled out the gun from the truck it discharged and Lido's life ended. Noah did everything that could be done in terms of first aid but those kinds of wounds are not treatable.

Noah was looking out for Lido all the way to the end. Noah was the best friend that Lido ever had. Noah is about to graduate. A few weeks ago he became an Eagle Scout. Soon he will be joining the military.

There will be many people in his lifetime that will be lucky enough to have him as a friend. He is good at being a friend. He is experienced.