Goodbye Friend

When Tommy and I moved to Knoxville from Nashville for Tommy to finish up his degree, we bought a house in Fountain City. While there, I became friends with Mr Johnson. Mr. Johnson was a widow that lived directly across the street. When we first moved in, he was out getting his mail and I went over and introduced myself. At the time, what I believed would be a relationship existing on casual waves whenever we crossed paths turned into one of the most important friendships of my adulthood. With Tommy at work, Tyler and I would walk over and visit with him every day. Sometimes we would stay for 15 minutes, sometimes hours. Mr. Johnson would call the house if we ever missed stopping by. Tommy and I would help him with his yard work sometimes and other times we would just sit out on the patio and talk. One thing we loved to do was swap food. We would take turns baking for each other and he was always my tester when I tried out new recipes. Mr. Johnson loved to laugh and tell stories about the neighbors. Even though he was very lonely at times and Tommy and I helped him with yard work and dinners- he did so much more for me. He was a really incredible friend.

Mr. Johnson came to almost all of the kids birthday party's. Tyler loved him and even last week drew a picture for him. I talked to Mr. Johnson often since we moved and sent him updated pictures of the kids every three months. In his living room beside his chair was a framed picture of Tyler and on his refrigerator was Carson. In fact, he was one of the first people I had told when I thought I might be pregnant with Carson. My sister suggested Carson's name- and we really liked it. I remember telling Mr. Johnson the name and he told me that Carson was his middle name. William Carson Johnson. I decided that day-we had our name.

I received a letter from one of his daughters that Mr. Johnson had fallen after a mild heart attack last fall. I went to visit him twice in the nursing home and was able to sit and hold his hand and tell him that I loved him. He went home around Thanksgiving and I talked to him on the phone for almost an hour on our drive back from Oak Ridge. Earlier this week I wrote him a letter and sent recent pictures of the kids. I received a phone call from his daughter a few days ago. What I assumed was her calling to let me know that he received our mail was in fact a call to let me know that he had another fall and was experiencing extreme dementia. I asked her to read him my letter regardless and tell him that I loved him. I found out today that Mr. Johnson passed away, he was 91 years old. I know that hardly anyone reading this blog knew Mr. Johnson, so this posting was really for me. I wanted to look at some pictures and just spend a few minutes thinking about him and what he meant to my family. I will miss him very much and am so grateful for the time he was in my life.