Tuesday, December 20, 2011
I had the privilege of spending a week with Robert several years ago when we traveled to Augusta, Georgia to play golf... this proved to be an interesting trip in that most of my previous exposure to Robert (at Ryan family gatherings) was distantly cordial at best... I would have described him as being somewhat aloof... so you can imagine my trepidation as I anticipated spending an entire week with Robert, including 24hrs in the car ride down and back to Augusta! The invitation to join him came as a complete surprise since I never thought we ever really "connected" on a personal level. Well, our trip turned out to be somewhat of an epiphany for me... to my amazement, Robert never stopped talking the entire car ride! He conversed until he literally "lost his voice" and became too hoarse to speak!! He spoke lovingly about all manner of things... his mother, his sister Lillian, his children, his relationship with cousin Charles growing-up, books he enjoyed, golf and, importantly, his faith. Never once did the subject of business/finance interrupt our thoughts... it was a week-long reflection about the relationships in his life that were important to him. By the end of our trip, I knew a man I had never known before... and felt blessed that he had chosen to share such intimate details of his life with me. Robert belonged to a generation where "quiet"... often "silent" response was the appropriate way of communicating… but in his eyes, a deep love and admiration for each of his children was unmistakable. He displayed his love with a dignity rarely seen in today's world. Like my own father, his faith in Jesus as his Lord and Savior was not something he ever found necessary to proselytize about, but it was real nonetheless. It is the single reality about Robert which I am most grateful for at this time... the confidence of knowing Robert is resting in the Lord. May God bless you and comfort you all during this season of nativity… when the “word became flesh and dwelt amongst us”. Barry Wynkoop
