My cousin related to me of a friend that died this past week. Another of her friends had posted a note on her Facebook page concerning death.

Most people don’t concern themselves with death until a certain age. That age is dependant on one’s

relative thoughts on what “old age” is. For my dad death was an early event in life. He told me when I was in my 30’s most all Rowe males died before or by the age of 60. I’ve said this many times before that my response was I was not buying into that mentality. So here I sit at 71 years old and still in good health and presently working a job, although retired from twenty-eight years of Civil Service. Not only that I’m presently the Director of Emerge Chaplain’s Response Team for disaster relief. I consider myself still too young to be dying any time soon.

Still, when I reached a certain age I was confronted with the fact or my mortality. Yes. I will die. But I have certainly heard from God and it concerns His will that I remain for yet a while till I have finished what I was placed on this earth for.

In earlier years death came to my bedside on more that one occasion and I had to rebuke it. I knew then I was to perform a calling upon me by God so I was not going anywhere. God showed me how to break the curse upon my family my present age is my evidence that I have broken it.

So I wrote the above to preface the response I had for my cousin on Facebook. That is what follows below. It was my experience with the death of my middle brother. I’m the oldest of five sons and the three middle brothers are gone now and only the youngest and I remain.

Teresa, I understand. I sat next to Mike after Debbie came to tell me he had passed. I was not there at the very moment but was there within a minute or so. I sat quietly with my hand on his left forearm in the room where a hush had come.

So many things went through my mind. No more talks, no more quick glances when we saw something no one was supposed to see, but we did. He and I got a laugh or two when that would happen and believe me it did. No more riding around just looking at nature and talking to neighbors or friends. No more talking about cars or going to the races across the street from where he lived at the Virginia Motor Speedway.

But the biggest “no more” was the pain he suffered from at the end. Mike died from lung cancer.

Peace overwhelmed me that he no longer was in pain. Mike told me several times in those last years that a near death experience had taken away his fear of dying, so I knew he went peacefully knowing where he was going.

Dad always said he didn’t want to die without knowing his sons were saved. Mike at the time of dad’s death was the hold-out, but I did see that for dad. Your friend was apparently close, and I know your brother, mom and dad were aware you were there with them when they passed over.

It was good to be there.