Posted in A Moment in My Life

“Goodbye, Robert Thompson”

A Moment in My Life – Friday, February 25, 2022

Jeannie Yee Davis

I am so sad to learn that my writing buddy, Robert Thompson, has journeyed to heaven. Even though he kept me abreast about his health challenges and when he transitioned into hospice, none of that foreknowledge makes today’s news any easier to accept. He’s still gone. I’ve said so many goodbyes to people close to me that you’d think I got this down, but I get sadder and sadder with each loss. I was still so not prepared for this news. My heart is tired of hurting, but denial doesn’t change the outcome.

He left us peacefully surrounded by his wife Nancy, their daughter, and granddaughter, ushering him on his journey to heaven. I see Rbt dear standing at the beginning of the golden path, smartly dressed in his biker’s gear for the occasion, complete with fedora in just his style. He turned with a big, beautiful smile with loving eyes to take a last look at the world he left behind. He tipped his hand in one final so long and began his new adventure into the novel in the sky. 

Rbt dear and I met in an online writing class back in 2003. He, Corky, and I became fast friends, and we continued taking the same classes so that we could write together. In early 2004, we three formed “The Happy Writers” writing group. Corky preferred short stories. Rbt dear wrote novels, and he was the short story contest king in our group. He kept us mentally sharp with his 24-hour contest challenges. Wow! What a blast that was. As for me, The Happy Writers have seen me through two novels and a bunch of short stories. We were there struggling through the tough spots of completing a story, consoling each other over the rejections, and rejoicing with our publication successes. We were quite the team until Corky relocated to heaven in 2014.

Since the three of us lived in different parts of the state, I imagined we would meet at our writing events, such as a book signing or something like it, and we’d celebrate our successes together. Little did I expect that our meeting would now take place in heaven. I had the opportunity of meeting Corky for dinner once when she came to California for an unrelated event, and now Rbt dear and Corky will get to meet each other and catch up. They’ll catch me up when I finally join them one day. Oh, the stories they’ll tell. Although I never met Rbt dear in person, we talked a lot over the years even though he stopped writing a while back, but he never gave up on me. He checked in with me regularly like a caring older brother. 

What comforts me is knowing that Rbt dear and Globfly would hang out together, and they’d become good friends. Globfly loved a good story, and Rbt dear was a good storyteller. What a match made in heaven; pun intended. I will close on this happy thought and keep close to my heart the love I have for two very dear people who own a part of my heart forever.

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