The Roughest Words I Ever Heard: a story about Boomer

Recently, when concluding the celebration of my Grandpa's 90th birthday, we all gathered around him and listened intently as he shared his life with us.

I hope I never forget the story about Boomer. I am not sure it was a life changing experience in Grandpa's life, not sure it was as heartbreaking for him as I imagine but I know it meant something. Because as a 90 year old man with his wife, children, grandchildren and maybe even a couple great grandchildren around him, he shared this story with us. Something he obviously never forget, and something that obviously touched him, I could tell by the look in his eyes.

It was like in that moment he traded in his wisdom of 90 years and the wrinkles that shown on his face for the eyes of a young man who still yearned to please his father and to make him proud.

Grandpa had apparently been working out of state and during a visit home, talked with his dad about coming home to work for him on the farm. And in Grandpa's words, what he heard next from his dad

"were the roughest words I ever heard."

After asking his dad if he could come back to the family farm to work, his father told him he didn't need him. He had hired Boomer, a farm hand.

I swear I saw the crushing look of rejection all over again on Grandpa's face while he shared this story. I saw the whole thing play out in his eyes, as if I had been a fly on the barn wall seventy some years ago.

The story continues with grandpa returning to another state to resume work. But, he says, the next year he wrote home. A simple but powerful message and it said,

"Dad,
Don't hire Boomer!
I'm coming home."