Goodbye, Mr. Avers

Mr. Greg Avers' funeral was yesterday morning at his church here in Council Grove, Kansas. I went to pay my respects and perhaps console those who weren't taking it so well.

Mr. Avers' death didn't surprise me at all; on Tuesday morning when my mom told me he had passed the night before, I felt as if I had already known it had happened. There are many who are in a state of disbelief at his absence, but I have been able to accept it very easily and without much pain.

I feel a lot of guilt for that, even though I know better. I'm happy for Mr. Avers for I know in my mind, heart, and soul that he is now in the very embrace of the Lord, and shall never know pain again. He suffered far too much for far too long in his fight against the cancer that took his life, and the time had come for heaven to open up and pull him in.

Avers taught Driver's Education. In fact, he taught me to parallel park, along with all the other in-car things that the driving instructor teaches you. Each new batch of students would be told one thing at the beginning of their term, and possibly again later on; Avers would stand before his new pupils and tell them his goal: "I hope to die before you do."

Well, Mr. Avers was a good teacher, and he kept a close eye on every student throughout the learning process. I believe that he saved many a student's life through his efforts, efforts that were roven successful by the number of students present at his funeral

Avers was a man of God and the pastor at the First Congregational Church here in Council Grove. If you saw how they had to pack people into every available space inside and even outside that church, you'd agree he was a great one. After all, he filled that church without even being there.

Mr. Avers, here's to you.