By Vickey J. Stamps – May 31, 2023

(The story of Wendell Stamps)

It sometimes feels like yesterday. Now all of what is left are those yesterdays. As far as the man we will call “the light of my life”, that man who took our wedding vows very seriously years ago. Remember those wedding vows? For better or worse, richer or poorer, in sickness and in health. I was one of the fortunate ones having a man who always put me first, who always met my needs, and asked nothing for himself.

Now I tread back through the years and am 14. His sister has become my friend. At that time I waas a timid child of limited confidence, a bean pole in stature, with a face full of pimples, the easy victim to those not sharing what I represented.

I became friends with his parents and their wonderful family. They made me feel special and welcome in their home and life. All I really noticed of this special man, then a teenager, was that he was constantly combing his hair. How he loved his hair. Thus the remembrance of that childhood. His family moved away from our little desert town to a populated city, full of opportunity. He married, went into the service and treaded down his own road of life. I married, and then became a single mother, poor as a church mouse with no edication to brag about or use to my advantage.

There were times as the children slept I would cry for I did not know how I, despite the numerous different jobs that I took due to being ahigh school drop-out would net me the food and clothing for my family. Times were tough. 16 years had passed and one night my truly special man crossed my path again. One year later we were married and merged the best we could of our two families.

One day I told him I sure wished I had a high school diploma to which he replied, “Get your GED!” I responded, “I’m not smart enough.” Always my supporter, always my encourager, he said, “Yes you are and you can!” I took the test and sure enough I passed.

Years went by. One day I the local college was looking for nursing students. “Honey, what if I could got to school for that?” Again, he said, “You don’t know how smart you are. Check it out.” I did and I was a nurse for 27 years. Thank you my hero. Thanks for knowing no matter how tough life got sometimes, you got tougher and always saw I was protected and be all I could be and better times became a reality. I got more from you, from life or so i thought, but you were always happy, wanting nothing more than my happiness.

Our kids grew up went their own ways. I worked full time and earned four two-year degrees at the local college. You were so proud of me for every successful thing I accomplished. You were strong in your ways, always looking to encourage and make my life as good as it could be.

All of a sudden life jumped up and took you away from me. Our house is empty where once you pumped life into it. Life full of good for me, always giving. You were and will always be the sun and the moon, the awesome laughter and smiles, beauty of sunsets, the evening breeze, the incoming and outgoing tide, the awesome distant mountains, the smile on a baby’s face, the giant who swept to my rescue was I ever afraid. You never knew how much I loved you and when I often told you so, you went, “I sure hope so.”

It is 5:30 in the morning and I set in a lonely place we made home. I am typing out your obituary saying good by. There will never be a good by. You will always be as much a part of me as I am of you. You are everything. You would be upset could you see or hear my tears. Perhaps, someday I will travel to where you are. Until then, I will write the best I can of what you were. As a husband you were my everything. That will never change.