Delores Nelson
Ã?¢ââ??¬Ã?â??I had the privilege and pleasure of being RobertÃ?¢ââ??‰â??¢s Mother for fifty years, and while that may be half a century, it seems much too short a time to have such a special person in my life. Robert filled a room when he entered it. Not simply because he was a large man physically, but because he was so full of life, laughter and love. It seemed to me that any room grew brighter and spirits lifted when Bob walked in. I was 17 years old when I had my son, and we grew up together. Despite all the mistakes I made as a young Mother, Robert matured into a highly intelligent, devoted, and caring Son. He was a rock I could cling to and an understanding, compassionate friend I could always rely upon. When he was a teenager I worried about drugs, alcohol and all the other fears parents have. But Robert never got involved with any of that. Instead, he chose to join a WritersÃ?¢ââ??‰â??¢ Club, and his poems were so good, so insightful that he won awards. Nearing adulthood, Robert always remembered my special occasions but never asked for anything for himself. Instead, he got a summer job and bought a sad, battered little car he named Welfus, paying all his own car expenses. He got a job in a grocery store right out of High School then later went on to obtain an Associate Degree and worked in the computer field he loved. Robert had many special qualities, but the attribute that will probably be best remembered by those who knew him was his love and compassion for others which was just part of his nature. When he was five years old he said to me, Ã?¢ââ??¬Ã?Å?Mommy, everyone in the whole wide world is my friend, but they donÃ?¢ââ??‰â??¢t know it.Ã?¢ââ??‰â??¢ Unfortunately, life finally taught Robert that not everyone in the world was friendly in return. Even so, he continued to be caring and reliable in his relationships because he could not be anything else. His friends were the most important thing in RobertÃ?¢ââ??‰â??¢s life, and some of his friendships have spanned more than thirty years. But even those who knew him for just a short period of time were aware that if you needed Robert, he would be there with a cheery smile, doing all he could to help. To think that I will never see him again in this world is an unbearable loss. And even though I will hold his memory close to me the rest of my life, there is a gaping hole in my heart that nothing else can fill: That hole is the place where my Son once lived and shared his love and life with me. I want to thank you for coming to the Memorial Service for my Son, and I especially want to thank all of RobertÃ?¢ââ??‰â??¢s friends who remember him today; he loved you more than you knew. I want to thank each of you for sharing your life with Robert, for giving him love and laughter in return. My wish is that we might all keep RobertÃ?¢ââ??‰â??¢s kind, loving Spirit in our hearts and minds as we support and value each other no matter our differing points of view. WouldnÃ?¢ââ??‰â??¢t it be a truly wonderful world if we could all honestly and accurately say that Ã?¢ââ??¬Ã?â??Everyone in the whole wide world is my friend!Ã?¢ââ??¬Ã?Â