T and I bought our house six years ago, the same year that Mr. Garret Goodson started his lawn care business. For those six years he mowed my yard, cut my bushes, and landscaped my flower beds. No yard was complete without a glass of water and some conversation about politics, local gossip, and deep thought provoking questions.
I learned that Mr. Goodson was a family man. Married for 19 years with a couple of sons, one of which helped his lawn business by weedeating. He wore a uniform and combat boots for several years before attending college (again) for agriculture after retirement. The military had him travel far away from his home in lower Alabama where there is a family farm. He was brilliant, a wealth of information.
When I left for Ft Benning Garret called to ask if he needed to mow my yard, I texted when I got back because my yard had not been taken care of. I heard nothing which was very unlike him. By the next morning one of my friends and neighbors had texted for his number saying the one she had wasn't accepting calls. Our neighborhood was confused with all of our yards being unkept. No one had seen him in days.
By yesterday evening we all knew why.
On June 30th Garret passed away.
What a loss. No longer will we see his old Cadillac pulling his John Deere lawnmower. Summers won't be the same having one less person who smiled and waved as you drove by.
Today I will be mowing my own grass, the first time in almost six years, with a heavy heart.
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