I Drive Your Truck

It took me to Mount Bonnell where I sat and drank coffee on Saturday morning, then to the playground where I chased around your little boy. He looks just like you. 

From there, it was on to some of my favorite places, which I discovered when I visited you. 

While standing in line for a taco I met a mother and son from Philadelphia. I stumbled on my words as I tried to explain what I was doing in Austin, then found myself in a lie...”Oh yes, my brother likes it here.” It was much easier than telling the truth. 

A new brewery (Lazarus Brewing Company) opened around the corner from Veracruz, so I went to check it out. The man sitting next to me (Christian) was the owner. His path to Austin came via Montana and Philadelphia, so we immediately struck up a conversation. The brewery was his third career. His first was in IT and his second was as a Presbyterian Minister. 

He mentioned that he had started a church (All Souls) that reaches out to those with doubts and questions about their faith, which prompted me to ask about the significance of the name “Lazarus.” In scripture, Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead...so to him, Lazarus is a symbol of life.  

When he finished his story I decided to share mine. I told him about you. He listened...he wanted to know your name...he asked all of the right questions. It was exactly the conversation I needed to be having with someone. 

Before leaving, I told him that at your memorial, the priest who gave the eulogy said that you had left us so soon because you had done everything you needed to do here on earth...but I didn’t believe that, not for one second. You are still here, doing wonderful things, even now. 

Thank you for letting me drive your truck.