A little Dab will do you

 Now most of you older folks remember what "a little dab will do you" comes from but the younger folks have no idea.  Well, here it is: When my brother, Larry, was ill, I stayed with him for about 3 months until he passed.  During that time I realized that he still used Brylcream on his hair.  So just to remind myself each day I now use Brylcream.  It actually works really well on my hair and scalp, so it was a good thing.   The point in telling you about this is I have always wanted to keep in touch with my past, both good and bad.  Of course, Larry was a good thing to always remember.  We had a lot of great times:  quail hunting on Beaver Creek to fishing in the local ponds and creeks to showing cattle, sheep and hogs in 4-H, to traveling to cattle sales to judging contest.  He was always a challenge to me in that he was a perfectionist.  Honestly, I think he even used Brylcream on our show cattle to make their hair shine.  Larry would spend hours combing and primping the hair on the show cattle.  

So, what is most important about "a little dab will do you".  It reminds me every day how I was blessed to have a good brother.  He never had a nose ring, a tattoo, or long hair.  He never drank that I know of, and he did not darken the doors of church as an adult, but he did use a few foul words.  In fact, all of his Clemson friends/Edisto Beef Cattle Research were entertained when Larry would get mad at cattle or technology because he could lay a streak of words that are unpublishable.  Funny thing was that he never got mad at folks, but cattle and objects could get him riled.  

Now I do need to clarify one thing about his church history as if that were the important part.  A friend of Larry's, Kevin Yon, came visiting at the hospital when Larry was sick.  I shared with Kevin my concern for Larry's belief and trust in Jesus Christ.  Kevin did me a great favor.  First off, he said he was embarrassed that in all the years of their friendship (35 years, approximately) they had never discussed Larry's relationship with Christ.  Second, Kevin stood up and said, "I am going to take care of that right now".  He came back and shared with me that Larry for sure knew Christ as his personal savior.  

Well, now back to Brylcream and a little dab will do you.  I can't explain the pain of losing my brother or the hole it left, but I can be thankful in all things but not necessarily thankful for all things.  You might have to think about that last sentence to get the real meaning.

So, what do you learn in the Osage?

• Memories are important and a little dab will help you remember the good
• A good friend is hard to find but easy to remember.
• Try every day to remember your history, the good and the bad and be thankful for ALL of it.

Thanks for listening,

gary.olson@finaciti.com