It's 2 am and here I am at work tonight, when I'd much rather be laying
underneath the star filled sky listening to crickets and my horse and a
lonely coyote. My thoughts are filled these days with my freind, my
brother, my pal, Shaun Pearson. Shaun is my cousin's husband and they
have a beautiful ranch in South Western Utah. I got to know him while I
attended college in Cedar City in 1986. I'd go out to their place on
weekends I didnt go home, which was a bunch. We'd haul water to cows
on winter range, check heifers, lamb his flock of registered Suffolk ewes,
feed calves in their feedlot, laugh and visit and be happy to be alive. He'd
always tease me about being scared of girls when he'd try to set me up
with somebody from their small town. He'd tease me about everything
and I'd send it right back his way every chance I got. There were the
poker games in the sheep camp while waiting on young ewes to figure
out how to be mothers. There was a hidden bottle of Crown while riding
through the cows that we meant to just sip and ended up finishing off
much to our own delight and his wife's raised eyebrows. When his son got
critically injured on a bull and spent weeks in Salt lake at the hospital, we
made many trips to sit with him and Tammy while we prayed and worried
and prayed some more. When he was able to go home and we could stop
worrying, we shed some happy tears! We'd spend hours at family
Christmas parties catching up and cracking jokes. Shaun was my brother
even though the DNA says otherwise. We buried him Saturday at age 51
on a beautiful blue sky day in his home town. He'd fought brain cancer
for 6 years and what a fight it was. In the end he taught me diginity and
courage and hope. He was the picture of honesty. He worked harder than
anyone I have known and would say that when it got too tough for
everyone else it was just right for him! He was genuine and sincere and
never changed. He loved his kids and they worshipped their Dad. He was
a perfect husband and his sweetheart was his best freind. He never met
somebody that didnt leave Shaun liking him! On a trip to D.C. he visited
with folks on the subway that he'd never met, and they left smiling and
happy he'd interupted their ride.
As the sun set this evening
and all of God's handy work was displayed in the west, I thought of my
fine freind. While God calls each of us home sooner or later and those
left behind mourn, I am certain heaven gained a wonderful and
entertaining soul this week. As we stood in the cemetary saturday and
remembered, most if not all the people looked at a pretty coffin and an
open grave. I looked west and little north at the desert ranch that Shaun
loved so much. And smiled as I saw the rain falling on the grass off in
that direction. I am sure he smiled as well. I was so priviledged and lucky
to have know Shaun. I was honored to count him as a freind. I am
markedly better because of his life and his death. I just wanted to share
my tribute to him with you all. May we all be so lucky to have people like
him in our lives. May we all strive to have others feel the same way about
us. Life is much to short to not love and laugh and forgive.
Thanks Shaun, for everything! Happy Trails Pal!
underneath the star filled sky listening to crickets and my horse and a
lonely coyote. My thoughts are filled these days with my freind, my
brother, my pal, Shaun Pearson. Shaun is my cousin's husband and they
have a beautiful ranch in South Western Utah. I got to know him while I
attended college in Cedar City in 1986. I'd go out to their place on
weekends I didnt go home, which was a bunch. We'd haul water to cows
on winter range, check heifers, lamb his flock of registered Suffolk ewes,
feed calves in their feedlot, laugh and visit and be happy to be alive. He'd
always tease me about being scared of girls when he'd try to set me up
with somebody from their small town. He'd tease me about everything
and I'd send it right back his way every chance I got. There were the
poker games in the sheep camp while waiting on young ewes to figure
out how to be mothers. There was a hidden bottle of Crown while riding
through the cows that we meant to just sip and ended up finishing off
much to our own delight and his wife's raised eyebrows. When his son got
critically injured on a bull and spent weeks in Salt lake at the hospital, we
made many trips to sit with him and Tammy while we prayed and worried
and prayed some more. When he was able to go home and we could stop
worrying, we shed some happy tears! We'd spend hours at family
Christmas parties catching up and cracking jokes. Shaun was my brother
even though the DNA says otherwise. We buried him Saturday at age 51
on a beautiful blue sky day in his home town. He'd fought brain cancer
for 6 years and what a fight it was. In the end he taught me diginity and
courage and hope. He was the picture of honesty. He worked harder than
anyone I have known and would say that when it got too tough for
everyone else it was just right for him! He was genuine and sincere and
never changed. He loved his kids and they worshipped their Dad. He was
a perfect husband and his sweetheart was his best freind. He never met
somebody that didnt leave Shaun liking him! On a trip to D.C. he visited
with folks on the subway that he'd never met, and they left smiling and
happy he'd interupted their ride.
As the sun set this evening
and all of God's handy work was displayed in the west, I thought of my
fine freind. While God calls each of us home sooner or later and those
left behind mourn, I am certain heaven gained a wonderful and
entertaining soul this week. As we stood in the cemetary saturday and
remembered, most if not all the people looked at a pretty coffin and an
open grave. I looked west and little north at the desert ranch that Shaun
loved so much. And smiled as I saw the rain falling on the grass off in
that direction. I am sure he smiled as well. I was so priviledged and lucky
to have know Shaun. I was honored to count him as a freind. I am
markedly better because of his life and his death. I just wanted to share
my tribute to him with you all. May we all be so lucky to have people like
him in our lives. May we all strive to have others feel the same way about
us. Life is much to short to not love and laugh and forgive.
Thanks Shaun, for everything! Happy Trails Pal!