Happy Birthday To Our Richard!

God swept him into our lives like a gentle breeze on a warm summer day! He was in the navy and came to Kings Mountain with another sailor to visit his parents! The first thing he did was sweep my niece Teresa off her feet!  She wound up marrying him and off to Georgia they went. Teresa was very young and from the day she was born, she had a very big piece of my heart! I can still see her,  with those blond curls and that impish grin.
Looking back over all the past years, I can see God’s hand in it all! As much as it hurt us, especially my sister Dot (her mother) to see her leave us and go so far away from home, they were so much in love. You could tell that from the start.
One of the first things they did was find a Church to attend! They started out the right way and never wavered! As we all found out, God had blessed Richard with a gift of being one of the best singers I have ever heard in my life. Through all these years our family has enjoyed getting to hear him sing, when they came up for a visit, or when we would visit them in Georgia.
He could  easily have been a success in any music field he chose, with the voice he had, but instead he chose to sing for God! In all these years he has never faltered, he keeps singing praises to his Lord and King and will continue ’til the day God calls him home!
I will always remember how Loretta would ask him to sing “He Touched Me” every time he came up here! We all love to him him sing, because we know his life! We know that he surrendered his heart and voice to Jesus all those years back and has never even thought about turning around!
From the first day we met him , we have all loved him! He has never once said a harsh word to any of us (I’m sure there has been times he wanted to) – LOL
I stayed with them several months while Sis was so ill and he showed me nothing but love and respect! He has an infectious humor though! When Doug Gladden (another nephew) and Richard get together, you can bet you will be entertained! In fact, it wouldn’t hurt to have an extra pair undies with you because you might need them! I don’t think I have ever laughed as much in my life as I have in the presence of these two nuts!
His family (Teresa, Lori, her husband Steve, Jason, his wife Gina and the lights of all their lives,  Granddaughter Makenzie and grandson Wyatt) will also tell you that he has always been a remarkable husband, Father and Grandfather.
I just wanted to let Richard know on this day, his Birthday, how much I love him and how much I hope he has  a wonderful birthday! He deserves nothing but the best! I wish I was down there to tell him properly what he has meant to me all these years! I hope I’m already in Heaven when the Lord calls him home! I would like to see his face when he sees Jesus for the first time!
WHAT A DAY, GLORIOUS DAY, THAT WILL BE!