Thursday, October 17, 2024
Pat was just a young teenage boy when I was born. Growing up on the ranch in Idaho, we always called him Uncle Patty-Bird. He used to tell us that he could fly, that's why he was called Patty-Bird. In our young innocence, we gawked in wonder at such an amazing super power, not realizing that he was referring to a real airplane. I vividly remember the night he was shot in the abdomen. I was only 4 years old. We were playing outside (Loren, Janice and myself) and heard Pat calling. We couldn't make out what he was saying and dismissed it as him hollering at a dog or one of the other animals. Then we heard him calling again. This time we could hear that he was calling for our father, Jon. Our father was inside the house watching TV. Our mother, Linell, was not at home. I recall going inside to tell Dad that Uncle Pat was calling for him. Dad came out, saw what had happened, and immediately placed Pat in the truck and, without a word to us children, drove off down the lane faster than I had ever seen him go. As I reflect on that night, it becomes obvious that the Lord's hand was in action. Pat was given strength to get himself close enough to be heard. We were watched over as children, left alone, though we were too young to be without supervision. My Father got Pat to the hospital in time to save his life. I remember picking flowers and going to the hospital. We were too young to be allowed in to see our Uncle Patty-Bird, so my mother took us around outside of the hospital to the window in Pat's room and lifted me up so I could see him. On that tragic night, Pat needed help beyond what he could manage on his own. He needed his elder brother to step in and give him what he so desperately needed to physically survive. This leads me to think of our elder brother, Jesus Christ, who stepped in and, through the Atonement, provided what was beyond our ability to do for ourselves but was so desperately needed for us to spiritually survive. We only have to call out in prayer and follow the steps to receive this spiritually life saving help. May God bless you, Wendy, and your family that these memories and the legacy Pat left behind comfort you in the days to come.
