My best friend, high school classmate, and traditional hunting partner has been out of the loop these last few years due to his wife's battle with cancer. I was honored and blessed to conduct her funeral this past Saturday. In the months leading up to her departure she and I had conspired against him so to speak in getting him a Christmas present to remember her by.
He and I use to shoot some trad shoots together, but mostly we are hunters. His first custom bow was a 60lb Wapiti recurve that he bought from Keith in 1992. He broke a limb on it a few years ago and it was hiding in a closet waiting on the resurrection. I spent two days looking for it (she was in the hospital and unable to help me find it)before I finally found it. I contacted Keith Chastain with our plans to get a set of 47lb limbs for it.
Keith was awesome and he got them finished lickety split and I received them last Thursday. Her wish was for me to get his old favorite operational again and for us to chase all manner of critters until we are too old. She, I and my buddy were/are all 45 so hopefully we will have a long career. I wish she could have been there when I gave it to him this past Sunday evening.
I invited him over to my house for a little arrow flinging/therapy session and presented it to him. Who says trad shooters don't cry? We both shed tears and the path to emotional recovery has begun. Sorry for being so wordy, but I wanted to share this Christmas story of 2011.
Wyatt
Wow, God bless you both..and trad hunters do cry and I will leave it at that. He is lucky to have you as a friend. I see lots of "therapy" in his future.
sitting here with tears rolling down my cheeks this AM just reading that...
What a woman! How much will a man miss a wife of that selfless caliber? Way much, to coin Mudd's venacular.
A present from the grave, as it were! I am deeply touched by your story, Wyatt.
May the "three" of you continue to haunt the woods and back lots as she will always be with him on his outings through this wonderful gesture on her part and with your due diligence and help!
Truly a story for the Holidays! Merry Christmas and prayers for healing of your surviving friend.
Thats a great story of true friends. Best of wishes on your emotional healing.
Wow! That is awesome and what friends are for. i will say a prayer for your buddy and his family!
Bisch
Great story of love! A woman who knew and understood the peace and spiritual feelings we get when a hunter hunts. Thanks for sharing.
Prayers sent for a great lady, but somehow I don't think she needs them.
Can't imagine. Incredible selflessness. A stark reminder of the self-centered "I-trouble" all of us sometimes get caught up in.
:campfire:
Wow!
Very emotional meaning behind that bow. She will always be by his side whenever he carries that bow. very inspiring story.
:thumbsup: :campfire:
WOW - :thumbsup: :thumbsup:
Beautiful. :campfire:
Thanks I needed that.
Merry Christmas
A wonderful gift from you and a great lady to your friend.Prayers for your friend during this trying time,may the Lord comfort him.
Beautiful
I am at a loss for words. God bless you all
Great story but very sad your friend lost his wife at such a young age. A gift from his wife that is in essence a nudge into the future must have been very moving.
Brought tears to my eyes too...
Great story of generousity and kindness. I hope you and your partner enjoy many fine hunts together in the coming years. I'm sure he will always remember his wife with every shot of that bow.
Extremely touching story. I am at a loss for words. Thank you for everything that you did.
As others have said "That will be a gift He will cherish forever"...Real men do cry and you are a true friend to help his wife in making certain her last wish was met to give her husband a gift to remember her by...She was truly a lady who thought about her husband and cared deeply about his passion to do such a thing...I like this story and I also needed to read this...God Bless you and your friend! Keefers <><
He indeed is a blessed man to have had such a thoughtful and careing wife and friend
My heart has been touched.
Thank you for sharing this story with us.
Father God please wrap your loving arms around these two men and allow them to feel your love in a very supernatural way. I ask in your Son's name. Amen!
Merry Christmas and God bless, Mudd
Wouldn't it be nice if everyone shot a Tradbow and acted this way,just how wonderful this world would be.God bless you and your friend.
One word...goosebumps...Thanks for sharing.
Great story of friendship and love. I hope you chase critters for a long time to come and she will be with him every time an arrow flys. May God bless both of you and we'll pray for your friends healing process. Good hunting.
Great story and I hope you enjoy many years together. 45 is way too young to go.
Simply awesome!
Close to tears after reading that what a amazing wife she will always be with him in the spirit of the bow. Got shivers down my spine, truly amazing
:thumbsup: :thumbsup: Awsome.
You've got it right
Bless you
God bless all of you, that story brought tears to my eyes, I am very sorry for his loss.
That is easily one of the most touching stories I have ever read here. What a wonderful woman she was, and a friend that you continue to be. The bow will be cherished no doubt, but only as a reminder of how priceless the two of you are.
What a wonderful, touching story.!
Thanks for sharing.
Merry Christmas..!
Thank You for sharing.
Thank you for sharing, a good story, a good bow, a good friend and a better lady!
That was the greatest thing I have ever read on this forum. Thanks for sharing that story. As others have said, I needed that. I'm sorry for your and his loss. She must have been amazing.
My friend, Don't worry about being wordy. Thats an absolute awesome story. I feel for your friend with his loss, couldn't imagine losing my wife. Having a friend like to you will help the heeling process. God Bless!!
Jason
Makes me cherish what I have and pray to God I never have to go through that, especially at this age (same). Tears and prayers for the strength to deal with a life lost too soon.
An amazing story and gift.
God bless and Merry Christmas.
Gentlemen,
Thanks for all of the kind words and sentiments. I would also like to give a shout out to my wonderful wife for allowing me to spend our Christmas money on this project. We decided jointly to not buy each other anything for Christmas this year and that allowed me to cover the cost of having the new limbs made. We are the ones who have truly received from this special Christmas. It's not about what you get, but what you give. I have grown more in my ministry through this experience than anything I've been involved with before. God bless all of you and have a very merry Christmas!
Update: We went on the first hunt this past Saturday. My buddy had a great and relaxing hunt even though he didn't see any deer. I had deer all over me, but no shot at a legal deer. I did have a spike at 12 yds, but it is a 3 point rule in my state.
The thoughtfulness of your friend's wife is the most important part of this story. The bow is such a non priortiy portion at this point in his grief of suffering the loss of his partner in life. Some day, though, he will be able to appreciate what she had you do for her and him. The time you spend helping him cope with life without her will mean far more than the actual shooting the bow ever will.
Don't forget to invite him over for supper, helping you around the house, picking up items from the lumber yard, anything to help him spend time with others who care about him instead of countless hours alone with no one to talk to. Sounds like you are that kind of friend.
Great friend :thumbsup:
It only took 9 years, but this morning Tabitha's wish came true. Tears fell again. Congrats, Wayne!
somehow I ,issued this story back in 2011.... A very touching story at that... Congrats to you and your buddy. He sure deserved that buck!!!!
God Bless you guys!! :campfire:
She has to be smiling. :clapper:
Very touching from beginning to end, thanks for sharing this and congrats to you and your friend and may his wife's memory live eternal! :pray: :clapper: :thumbsup:
Very cool!
And congrats to Wayne on a great buck!
Bisch
This is a very moving story.
That is awesome! Congratulations!
Amazing, thank you for the update!
Oh man... this is probably the coolest thread resurrection I've ever seen. Congratulations to your buddy. I'm blinking back a few tears myself.
Best story ever told! This is just so awesome!!!!!
Man I needed this post/story. Thanks for sharing. Loved it. Hope everyone is getting therapy from the forest. It does me wonders personally.
Wow, what a story. It was awesome to see the beginning with the initial act. Seeing this chapter just makes it that much better.