Hold on to the Winfreds in your life

I met Winfred Garner when I ran for sheriff at the tender age of 28. Winfred was my friend and agreed to be my campaign manager/treasurer. He took this job seriously and wanted to win badly.

Stanfield

I’d stop by his house to see him and his beautiful wife, Emilye. I never called to say I was coming over, and the look on Winfred’s face was always one of delight when he looked at me. He never made me feel unwelcome.

Over those few years that Winfred and I worked together, he became like a father to me and I miss him dearly.

The night of the election, the results were given and we lost, not by much. Surprisingly, Winfred began to cry. This was one of the toughest men I’d ever met, and he turned to me and told me that he had let me down and he could have done more. I hugged my friend and sent him home knowing that he had done more for me than I ever expected and the if the truth were known, the election would not have been even close without his involvement. We would have lost by a landslide.

God sent me Winfred when I needed him the most.

I will never forget the love in Winfred’s eyes every time he saw me. I will always remember and appreciate my friend who made this world a better place by being kind to each person he met, as well as being there for me. Hold on to those Winfreds in your life because not too many of them come along.

I was with Winfred a few hours before he died. I bent down, kissed his forehead, and a tear rolled down his cheek. He knew I was there, and I will always feel blessed to have been with him when he went “home.” I walked away, found a bathroom and cried like a baby for 30 minutes before leaving.

I miss you, Winfred, and I thank God that He sent you to me.

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Rick Stanfield is a syndicated columnist, motivational speaker and author. For more information, visit is website at www.rickstanfield.com .