Tell Us Your StoryPlymouth members share their memories, lives, and spiritual experiences.A Heavenly PuttBy R. Craig ShivesI met Burns Mossman when we wereboth in our mid-30s. Burns was beingrecruited to join our law firm. I rememberreviewing his resume during the interviewprocess and being mildly curious why hehad noted he was a diabetic.After he joined the firm, Burns and Ibecame very good friends. Most of ourtime together away from the office wasspent on the golf course. When weatherallowed, we played nearly every week forover 30 years.As I got to know him better, I beganto understand why Burns mentioneddiabetes on his resume. Burns had manysignificant surgeries to deal with theaffects of the disease including strippingand reversing blood vessels in both legsto improve circulation, laser eye surgery,heart bypass surgery, the amputationof a toe and a kidney transplant. Withall that, I never heard Burns make onecomplaint about the disease or its affecton his physical well being. Burns was afighter and he lived a full life in spite ofhis disease.Until, suddenly, at age 65, Burns died.There was no warning. We were planningto play golf the next day. His death was ashock and I still feel the loss.In honor of Burns we changed the nameof the firm’s fall golf outing to “TheMossman Cup”. The inaugural playingof The Mossman Cup provided anunforgettable moment for me. We playedon a typical late fall day. The temperaturewas mild, bordering on chilly, and thesky was filled with clouds that were onthe move all day driven by a blusterywind. Late in the round I found myselfon a steeply sloped green with a nearlyimpossible nine foot downhill putt thatwould break severely from left to right.Under the gloomy sky and chilled bythe blustery wind, I said to my playingpartners, “I have no idea what to dowith this putt.” I gave the ball only alight tap and expected it to run well pastthe cup leaving at least one more puttfrom the lower side of the hole to finish.In fact, the ball started slowly downthe slope, made a turn to the right androlled directly into the center of the cup.Immediately, the clouds broke open and abright sun appeared in a glorious displayof light. The appearance of the sun at thatmoment was not a mere coincidence. Itrepresented, to me, a grinning smile fromBurns who had witnessed, and perhapsparticipated in, the making of thatamazing putt. Death does not end theinfluence of a good friend.About the AuthorR. Craig Shives has been a member of Plymouth Church since2006. He is a graduate of Cornell College and The Universityof Iowa College of Law. For forty years, as an employee benefitsattorney, Craig wrote long documents using long sentences full oflong words of technically complex significance. The documents were,of course, very clear and meaningful. Today he is making amends bywriting short stories with shorter sentences.Plymouth Magazine 5
It seems that your browser's pop-up blocker has prevented us from opening a new window/tab. Please click the button below to open the link manually.
