Yesterday, we laid to rest Thomas Lambert Skinner November 23, 1943 to October 19, 2022.
I knew very little about Tom when I started working with him in 2020. I became the Farmer's Market manager and was pretty green behind the ears, but Tom was one of the few that made me feel at ease. He always had this special way about him. I could tell, the second someone walked up to him, he had them pegged and knew exactly what they needed. I rarely saw someone leave his tent without a treasure. In fact, he was one of my most successful vendors. Even I have a good stock of Tom's Noisy Sharps.
We take for granted how much and how little we know someone. We may interact with people daily, but do we truly know them? I sat in a room with Tom's friends and family, not far from pictures of his life, realizing I didn't get to truly know this man.
I bet his stories would have made me laugh, or would have made me cry. I bet his heart was broken and I bet his beautiful wife helped heal it. I bet he had times he was so scared he didn't know what to do, and I bet there were times he was so happy he felt like he was flying. I bet his road was paved with sorrow, laughter, tears and heartache and I bet he cherished it all.
As I sat in the room with his friends and family listening to his sister talk about his life, I missed him. I missed what I could have learned, and I missed what I could have heard.
We ended the funeral with a song from John Denver, "Take Me Home, Country Road"... thinking about a better time when we were all laughing.
Here's to you my friend, may your country road take you home to the place you belong...
"Country roads, take me home to the place I belong.
West Virginia, mountain momma, take me home, country roads.
Country roads, take me home to the place I belong.
West Virginia, mountain momma, take me home, country roads"
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