I dated my
wife, Jean, immediately after our graduation from high school, and knew her
sister, Sue Long, and Sue’s husband, Clarence. I recall little Wade as a
toddler, and after Jean and I met again, Wade and I renewed our acquaintance.
Wade was in high school at the time. My nephew sustained the worst symptoms of
a condition known as Spina Bifida, and was a paraplegic; not having any feeling
or function in his legs, and was confined to a wheelchair throughout his entire
life.
It is
important to understand that among anyone and everyone I ever knew who suffered
with an almost unbearable medical condition, Wade seemed to tolerate it in the
most extraordinary manner.
Did I mention that this wonderful young man endured literally dozens of surgeries in and about the brain and spinal cord?
(Well, he did).
Simply put,
…He was
Joyful. With a capital “J.”
I never, I
mean NEVER saw Wade without a smile on his face. That grin would light up a
room. Those shining, white “32’s” could almost literally light up the entire
universe. Had you asked him, he would have attributed his contagious
personality and attitude to the presence of His Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ,
in his young life.
Wade endured
countless surgeries during the brief 19 years which were allotted to him.
Though he grew weary, he never seemed to complain.
The dear boy
was the consummate singer. A soloist. While he never appeared on “The Voice,”
what he lacked in vocal talent was more than made up for by the fervency and
volume of his music. He sang about the Jordan River; until anyone who ever
heard him might immediately think of Wade when that body of water was alluded
to.
I came
across an old audio tape a couple of years ago, and snapped it into the player.
From across the years Wade seemed to delight in one more opportunity to light
up a room with his voice.
He prefaced
his solo with
“Uncle
Royce, we’re gonna meet Jesus one day. There will be no more tears. And it will
be fine!”
by William McDonald, PhD. Excerpt from (Mc)Donald's Daily Diary. Vol. 50. Copyright pending
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