The Ice Fisherman
By Bonnie
Ted was many things to many people. To one ,he was Husband and Eternal Companion. To five, he was Dad. To others, he was Father-in-Law, Papa, Son, Uncle, Cousin, Nephew and Brother. To many, he was Photographer, Storyteller, Scout Leader, Fishing Buddy and Friend. To my husband, he was Fellow BSU Fan, Example, Ask-a-Mechanic and Off Road Guide. To my kids, he was Uncle, Prankster and Huckleberry Thief. To me, he was Brother, Bearer of Screaming Yellow Zonkers, Counselor and Ice Fishing Guide.
As his baby sister, I was entitled to the tiniest bit of whining to get my way. Finally, one Spring, he apparently felt I had patiently plead long enough. He extended an invitation for me and my kids to join him and his kids for a day of ice fishing on Mountain View Reservoir. Dark and early the next morning we loaded up. Stopping only for Egg McMuffins, we proceeded to caravan across the desert deep into Duck Valley Indian Reservation. Ted's tales of previous escapades at our target destination had our spirits afloat. Reports of the hundreds, or rather thousands of fish offered up by that blessed body of water on Ted's past visits filled our dreams and expectations with visions of an abundant haul. Excitement mounted as the two vehicles laden with eager fishermen neared our destination on the day that would go down in history as the day the Worthingtons out-fished the Nelsons.........the day I out-fished my big brother. As we finally pulled up to the lake on that clear Spring day, the reservoir shown bright as the sun glinted off the WATER!?! “Hey, Ted,” I exclaimed, “you forgot to bring the ice!” There wasn't so much as an ice cube in the entire lake! Dripping with sweat, we shed our layers of winter clothing best we could and perched ourselves on the jagged rocks of the bank. Meanwhile, our guide equipped for ice fishing, made do with the gear he had and outfitted us with poles, baited our hooks and set us to fishing from the bank. And yes, I out-fished him that day. To protect his ego I presume, he claimed that he didn't get to fish long enough. I don't know what he was complaining about. We let him fish all he wanted as long as he kept our poles baited and in good catching condition. We returned home with two fish(both caught by Worthingtons), sunburns and a woodtick. That's right, Ted didn't get totally skunked that day. He came home with a tick. It may have been the one and only tick to ever have been acquired by any fisherman while “ice” fishing.
The next time he took me ice fishing was a different story. There was ice alright and it was bitterly cold. Ted had a way of knowing what would be good medicine for people. When my daughter, Sarah was diagnosed with Leukemia, he was the first person I called with the news. His calm reassuring voice was good medicine for me. As soon as Ted and Marilyn got the news of Sarah's diagnosis, they and their kids set to work helping our family through our difficult ordeal. It became important to Ted to keep Sarah's spirits up. When she reached a point in her treatment that we could wrangle permission from her doctor to take her on an outing, Ted took Sarah and I ice fishing on little Paigey's birthday. With Sarah's condition being delicate, he went to great lengths to keep her comfortable and took us for the first non-hospital related outing that we had been on in months. The bitter cold and wind proved to be surprisingly rejuvenating. Sarah returned with a fine perch that day. She and I both returned with brightened spirits and reassurance of how much Ted and his family loved us. He had a knack for making time for family while creating unforgettable memories. He brought our extended families closer together and helped forge enduring bonds. I will be ever grateful for the example he set and the many acts of kindness and fond memories he brought into my life. I'll miss him dearly, but it won't be forever. To me, he will always be Brother.
So Ted, I'll be seeing you. And could you have a pole ready for me when I get there? Oh, and don't forget to bring the ice this time. ;)
Taken on the famous "ice" fishing trip.
I painted this picture of him for his family
Miss those Zonkers.
ReplyDelete