Thank you for the journey.

A few months ago I talked with you about writing down how we felt about each other, but we didn’t, and here we are, so let me tell you anyway. 

You have earned my love, respect, admiration over these 47 years. You taught me what it meant to love someone unconditionally and even though we did not agree on everything you took the time, without forcing me, to get me to look at your point of view and usually come around to seeing things your way. 

I want to thank you for the journey that we have been on. I don’t want it to end now but the Lord knows best. These last few months have been hard on you and it appears that The Lord is about to give His servant rest. I cannot imagine my life without you but you have my permission to take that rest. 

Thank you for being such a generous man. You touched so many lives with your simple generosity, your love for people and your kind understanding. Thank you for being patient with me when I did not always understand or agree with you. Disagreements never changed your love for me. It was always heartwarming to know your priorities — love for God, love for His church, and then love for me and that others came after. I did not like the order you had them in sometimes, but you were right. I knew I had to share you with others but you never put any other person before me and that is why I can serve you with love and devotion because I always knew my place in your heart. 

Sickness changed a lot of things but not our devotion to each other. Sometimes I did not understand the nature of your sickness and might have been a little hard on you. Please forgive me. 

Without you there is no Joseph & Fay Hutchinson. My life will never be the same if you are not there. My heart is broken in a million pieces. But you have given me the tools to go on. 

You will always be the love of my life—the one and only Joseph M. If you have to go, I will catch up with you later. The Lord is giving His servant rest. We have done all that could be done, and I have placed you in the hollow of the Master’s Hand. Don’t worry about anything. You have more than provided for your family as a husband, father, and grandfather. We will work through whatever difficulties we may have. We will be ok. 

When I held your hands yesterday I knew that you knew those were my hands holding you. I will miss holding your hands. I will miss fussing over you. I will miss your politically correct smile. I will miss everything about you. But it is time to rest. You are leaving a lasting legacy, boots that will be impossible to fill but go ahead and take your rest.  

Love you always, 

Fay E.