Wayne

I’ve known Wayne since elementary school; roughly 45 years, but I honestly can’t remember a time when Wayne wasn’t a part of my life. Selfishly, he’s that friend I call when I need a little pick me up and also when I need to view life a bit differently. He makes me giggle, he can make me laugh till I cry, he makes me angry, and often times he makes me cry not because he’s unkind to me, but because I wish his circumstances were different. Sometimes I cry happy tears because I’m so thankful for his friendship. But he is a constant in my life, like a friend should be. Last night I called to check on him and as usual he had me laughing. We spoke over an hour and as it goes with most phone calls and conversations, it’s Wayne sharing everything with me from girls, Atlanta Braves baseball, Georgia Bulldogs football, who’s died recently, his latest crush and on and on.

After we said our goodbyes I spent some time just thinking about my friendship with Wayne and the person he is. You see Wayne is different. He’s kind of loud and he has a hard time listening. He wears mismatched clothes sometimes, he LOVES the Braves and the Georgia Bulldogs and talks about both non stop. He is very loyal to our Alma Mater W.S.Neal and I’m pretty sure he’s in attendance at most home games for every sport. He’s a very picky eater, but will throw down on some spaghetti and meatballs. He’s girl crazy and believes every girl he’s ever had a crush on was stolen from him, including me. He’s convinced if he played for the Braves, I would have never married Mike and married him! He is well known in our town of Brewton and NEVER meets a stranger. He likes to play Bingo, go bowling, and play corn hole, all with a competitive edge. Yes, Wayne is different. He’s most certainly different than most of my friends.

But here’s what I know about my friend Wayne. He has loved me for many years unconditionally. There isn’t one thing I could do to make him love me less. He would do anything for me. Not sure I can say that about myself. He has the most giving loving heart and sees the good in everyone. Every single time I see him he approaches with much excitement, a big smile, and a big ole hug. Every time we end a conversation he tells me he loves me and tells me to tell my girls he loves them and Mike also. I can spend hours chastising him for not making good decisions and he never gets angry at me, he merely accepts it and moves on to his next topic. He’s not afraid to ask you to do things for him. Just last night he asked me, a huge Bama fan, if I would buy tickets for he and I to go to the Georgia/Vandy game! I had to laugh and of course the answer was no! So then he had to throw in a dig about Bama losing the National Championship! That also made me laugh.

Wayne got to visit me in St. Louis last summer. It was a trip of a lifetime for Wayne and it was by far one the happiest four days of my life. I could hardly contain myself seeing him make his way down that concourse beaming like an experienced traveler! We brought him here to take him to a Braves/Cardinals game which for Wayne is the BEST gift he could ever receive! We even got to go down on the field and watch batting practice. He loved everything about Busch stadium, except the Cardinals. And of course while we’re watching the game he’s giving me the history and stats of the players from both teams, all the while talking smack about the Cardinals! His requests while he was here were minimal; he wanted to go to the mall, go bowling, and maybe play bingo. He learned to play corn hole and he is convinced Mike should be on a professional corn hole team. While Wayne can be a bit much at times and tries your patience, I was so sad the day he had to leave. His visit was  refreshment to my soul and I enjoyed every single minute.

After going to bed last night I still had Wayne on my mind and found myself sobbing. Wayne lives well below the poverty level. And though Wayne isn’t hungry and has a place to live, there isn’t much for extras. His wants and needs are like all of ours. He would love a family, a nice house, nice clothes and a car. And while Wayne knows everyone and has many friends, he’s lonely. He doesn’t understand it and expresses it to me often. And as I started thinking about it last night which led to my tears, I don’t understand it either. I spent time talking to God about it and I realized Wayne is rich in ways most people will never understand. He loves God. He sees the good in everyone. He loves without conditions. He’s constant and steadfast. He loves people and for the most part he loves his life.While he doesn’t have many of the things he would love to have, or things I would love to see him have, he is abundantly blessed and we are blessed for having him in our lives.

Recently I traveled to Brewton for my Daddy’s 80th birthday. Wayne loves catfish so I asked him if he wanted to have lunch with me at the catfish house and he was thrilled. I walked into the restaurant and you better know I immediately hear very loudly hey Sandi, I’m right here! And there he was, with a smile a mile wide dressed in his Sunday best with a big ole hug waiting! We sat down and immediately he announces he got my daddy a birthday gift and hands me a bag. In the bag a card and two air fresheners, which made me giggle and Wayne proceeds to say I know your daddy is going to love this gift! He asked me to read the card and here’s what it said, to a good God fearing man that’s always been like a father to me. I hope you outlive me. Yours truly Wayne Woodson, your other son, could have been worse, I could have been your son in law! Now y’all know I bout lost it right up there in Davids Catfish house! He is the kindest soul and perhaps one of the funniest!

You might wonder why I felt the need to write about Wayne. It’s pretty simple. I love this man, my friend, and I want everyone to know. He lifts me up when I’m down and I pray I do the same for him. And if by chance I come into a lot of money, Wayne will have green seats to every Braves home game, a luxury suite in Athens and the most beautiful home with a really large flat screen TV! I’m pretty sure no one has ever written a story about Wayne and I’m pretty sure I’ve never told Wayne just how much I love him and just how much he means to me. Until now. Love you Wayne. Thanks for being my forever friend.