Today, a young man knocked on the office door. He and his brother, both looking out of place in the zone, walked in and sadly told me what information they were seeking. Their father died on the streets in the zone and they were here from Indiana to pick up his ashes.....
I didn't get the whole story, the how's and the why's as to their father's passing, I really didn't need to know all of it. I typed his last name into our data base to see if he had been in our office and the ensuing results indicated a visit in July of 2009. He visited us just once, and we helped him with the funds needed to replace his Arizona identification and referred him to the local Social Security office to replace his social security card. The boys were about to walk out of the office when I said I had a picture of him. They returned to my desk as I opened the file and the eldest son sucked in his breath and said 'Dad'... just one word and tears spilled down his checks. I stood and gave him a hug. The younger man just stood and stared at the last picture taken of his dad.
The boys were here looking for anyone who might have known their dad or had any information concerning the time he had spent in Arizona. I gave them all I had, which admittedly was not much, and promised to check around for further information. I e-mailed him the picture of his dad, who was smiling and happy when he was in our office in July. I am thanking God that their dad was smiling and peaceful when he was in here so that his sons have a happy, last picture of a smiling blond man in a tank top. A sad day but with a glimmer of peace, a smiling last picture, a final door closes...
I didn't get the whole story, the how's and the why's as to their father's passing, I really didn't need to know all of it. I typed his last name into our data base to see if he had been in our office and the ensuing results indicated a visit in July of 2009. He visited us just once, and we helped him with the funds needed to replace his Arizona identification and referred him to the local Social Security office to replace his social security card. The boys were about to walk out of the office when I said I had a picture of him. They returned to my desk as I opened the file and the eldest son sucked in his breath and said 'Dad'... just one word and tears spilled down his checks. I stood and gave him a hug. The younger man just stood and stared at the last picture taken of his dad.
The boys were here looking for anyone who might have known their dad or had any information concerning the time he had spent in Arizona. I gave them all I had, which admittedly was not much, and promised to check around for further information. I e-mailed him the picture of his dad, who was smiling and happy when he was in our office in July. I am thanking God that their dad was smiling and peaceful when he was in here so that his sons have a happy, last picture of a smiling blond man in a tank top. A sad day but with a glimmer of peace, a smiling last picture, a final door closes...
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