“Nothing is left for you at this moment but to laugh.” ~ Unknown
This is Ryan Collinsworth. He is 10 years old. He is soft spoken, quiet, and very sweet. He’s also incredibly adorable with his signature blond cowlick like his Uncle Mark.
Mark was like my little brother. Ryan’s dad, Rusty, was the older brother. I was sandwiched right between the Collinsworth boys, and I loved every minute with them. I’ve got stories about those boys to fill a book. I look forward to spending the Sorghum Festival Parade with Rusty. It gives us a chance to catch up, and reminisce a little. Rusty helps me remember a lot of things I’ve let slip through the memory cracks. Being with him is a little like finding a book of photos I forgot I had. When Ryan was younger Rusty introduced me as “the little girl on the pony with daddy.” There’s a picture of me and Rusty atop a pony’s back. It became one of those quintessential Kodak moments, what with Rusty smiling like there was no tomorrow. I don’t think Mark was born yet when that picture was taken. If he was, he was just an infant because I was barely two years old at the time. Rusty was a very rambunctious seven.
I’d been relying on Mark to fill in the gaps of some of our adventurous play dates in the creek or on Jones Creek. There were many adventures, let me tell you. He was Robin to my Batman, Tonto to my Lone Ranger. We were inseparable as children. We were even baptized together. Ryan’s mom was eight or nine months pregnant with him when Mark died suddenly at age 38. Now, I have only my recollections to rely on. Thank God I’ve still got Rusty. Ryan looks a lot like his him, but he looks a lot like Mark, too. He’s not mischievous like Mark, but he has a very similar soul. He’s so familiar to me that it’s hard not to hug him and never let go. I catch myself staring at him constantly. My heart fills with a little more love every time I’m with him. I’m sorry that he never got to meet his uncle Mark – that boy was a pistol, and a soul mate. Nevertheless, I’m grateful for Ryan. I hope he gets used to me staring at him. I don’t see that ending any time soon. At least I smile when I stare, probably like Rusty atop that pony.
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