I’ve been touched by an angel. An earthly angel named Richard, Dick or Dickey Barron based on when during his life he affected your life. An angel so special, he was sent back prematurely to finish work of a higher calling.

Reflect back on the last time he touched your life…….. personally, professionally, socially and you now realize what special gifts he possessed. Gifts to lift your spirit, brighten your day, ease your tension or just make you laugh. Gifts easily overlooked in a society often focused on what gets done vs. how those results are achieved.

I first saw the angel just after I was born and immediately fell in love with him. He was everything you’d expect from an angel, patient, tolerant, kind and loving. He opened his arms and his heart, sharing his knowledge, wisdom and love as I grew. I admired him, tried to impress him and often emulated him.

Then, our relationship changed. Not because the angel changed, but because my view of him changed based on external influences during my teens. He became the enemy, a man to be avoided and often feared. I pushed him away, building a barrier between us that would last for decades. The gap widened as distance separated us during my college years and then as I left to begin a career of my own.

The gap widened even further as our careers took us in separate directions and then again as I married and began working a business part-time while also working a full-time job; always too busy to reach out and be touched by him.

Then a miracle happened, I’m not sure exactly when or how but it truly was a miracle. Re-building a relationship with my angel became increasingly important to me. Unfortunately, he was now newly married and building a new career, often too busy to return phone calls. I’m persistent and just kept calling. Calling to say hi, calling to share news, calling to invite him to attend family reunions, calling to let him know that I valued him and wanted him back in my life.

My job afforded me opportunities to “drop-in” for a visit now and then; slowly returning the luster to our relationship by opening my eyes to the angel that had always been in my life.  I visited when possible but soon realized my angel had dawned a suit of armor, not to keep me out but to protect himself. The armor was not thick, nor was it heavy but it affected my ability to experience the same joy and satisfaction I had known as a child.

Changes in my career did not provide the same opportunity to “drop-in” and his new real estate career kept him too busy to travel. We’d go years without seeing one another, too long between visits to grow our relationship. So in the spring of 2009 I insisted; just the two of us, time to remove the armor and begin rebuilding a special relationship with my angel.

We touched one another during our brief visit together in Las Vegas, opening the door to a new relationship we each wanted. In the spring of 2011 we began the planning process for another longer trip, a trip that would reveal our inner selves to one another once again.

I returned two weeks ago to reverse the roles. Dad was preparing for a new phase of his life and it was my turn to reach out and touch him, to provide a kind, loving hand to help him achieve the greatness he desired. Plans for my visit changed dramatically when Dad fell the day after my arrival and was admitted to the hospital. He had been in the hospital many of times but this time he was admitted with renewed hope. Hope for a permanent solution to his chronic tiredness and fluid retention. Hope to reclaim his health and open a new chapter of travel and activities. One he gladly accepted knowing the high risks given his medical history.

I spent hours with my angel in the hospital, grooming his wings in preparation for a new flight. Unfortunately, I did not realize I was preparing him to fly away, to join his parents and grandparents who shaped him into the angel we all know and love.

Dad left us hopeful, confident, and prepared to take on new challenges. He taught us about the power of relationships, laughter and kindness. He molded me into the man I am today and for that I am very grateful.

We are here today to celebrate his life, to celebrate the time we shared with an angel here on Earth. We’re here today to enjoy one another and the things Dad held special in his life.

You were touched by an angel.

Rick Barron

Touched by an Angel

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