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I was there.

I was there when we made homemade ice cream together and sat in his swing. We swung for hours.

I was there when he taught me just how hard farming is and how we should all appreciate it.

He was there for my dance recitals, band performances, high school and college graduations, birthday celebrations, family trips and many more special occasions.

I was there when he planted and picked his prize tomatoes. I will never do it as well as he did.

“Welcome back, Mr. Whitlock,” the hotel host greeted me as Lori and I returned from an evening out. I looked down to see if I had a nametag on my shirt. Almost feeling like a celebrity, I whispered to Lori as we got on the elevator,

“How did he know my name?”

It’s nice to be welcomed back.

And when someone knows who we are and can even call us by name, like the host at the hotel did to me, it makes us feel even more special.

It was touching, plain and simple.

I followed him from room to room and saw their faces light up when they saw him peek inside.

Some of them wanted hugs and a kiss from their “boyfriend.” Some wanted to know what was for lunch or some water. Others said they weren’t feeling well and wanted an encouraging word.

They all got what they needed.

The Rev. Mikie Ash visits residents at The Grandview every day. He visits all of them twice a day. I wrote a story about Ash for our Sept. 24 issue.

What did I do during my summer vacation? I got cancer!

Earlier this year, I was feeling kinda run down. I had a cold that just wouldn’t go away, a nagging fever and some swelling around my stomach that clearly wasn’t from Oreos.

In May, I finally went to the doctor. They drew some blood, did an x-ray, offered a few theories and sent me home until the results came in.

By that night, I was in Taylor Regional Hospital’s emergency room, where a doctor was telling me that I may have cancer.