A Grateful Father

I have always made it a point to give my children's friends a nickname once they reached a special stage of endearment. Wes' was simply "True Man." He was the sort of young man that under every circumstance he was true.

Several weeks ago I made a special trip to Provo to see Wes as his condition was beginning to seriously decline. I had a special message I wanted to share with Wes and to do so over the phone or in writing was insufficient. To do so would diminish the significance of what I felt in my heart was a message of appreciation which only a face-to-face visit would do.

Thus, while it is fairly uncomfortable for me to sit for 12 hours, I drove from Las Vegas to Provo and back in one day so that I could spend five or 10 minutes telling Wes how much he meant to my son Ryan.

I told him that I had come up to thank him in person. A father always wants his son to associate with other young men of good character. I told Wes that I felt he had had as much or more influence for good on our son as I did. That there was no way that I could ever express deeply enough my appreciation for being that type of friend to my son. I felt that only in heaven could there be an adequate reward.

And their friendship is not just one-way. During Wes' greatest times of need, Ryan made every sacrifice to be there for his friend. Ryan made countless trips to Provo - to spend time with him, helped him build his house, and be at his side for strength and support.

When Ryan drove up to Provo Sunday to be sure and be at his side during Wes' final hours, his car dropped virtually every bit of its transmission fluid while stopped at a gas station in the town of Nephi. Automatic transmissions are sealed units, meaning that the only way that fluid leaks out is through some sort of a serious breach in the casing, broken seal or fluid line. He left the car there and found a ride up to Provo. After Wes passed away the following morning, Ryan was driven to the town of Nephi. There he and Nathan Earl put over 5 quarts of transmission fluid back into the vehicle but could discover no leaks or any indication of how the leak occurred in the first place. Ryan drove the car the entire way back to Las Vegas without any incident. The transmission performed perfectly.

I'm quite sure that any mechanic would be hard-pressed to come up with the remotest explanation for how that could happen. So I will simply leave it to the only explanation that makes sense. Wes undoubtedly has influence in heaven and arranged for a rather speedy and profound miracle as a sign of appreciation for his good friend Ryan.

Floyd Fitzgibbons