I wanted to pass along some words our daughter Cindy wrote after Gene died. They are beautifully written and very special to me.
From Cindy: “My dad left a legacy to make the world just a little bit better by being here. Having heart is the act of compelling your mind to stay true to that mission no matter what. My dad, being the optimistic man he was, had two goals when he was diagnosed: 1) to complete his presidency of the American Quarter Horse Association and 2) to see his granddaughter Taylor graduate from high school. True to his words of Never, Never, Never give up, he accomplished both. …
“A retentive memory is a good thing, but the ability to forget is a true token of greatness. My dad met every challenge with a strong heart and gentle smile. He just kept going through the mess, and pain. I questioned him often wondering if he had forgotten about how sick the treatments made him, telling him it was OK to stop. He looked me straight in the eye and with complete reverence he said NO WAY. I guess successful people forget. They know the past is irrevocable. He was running a race and refused to look back. His eye was on the finish line. Magnanimous people forget. They are too big to let the little things disturb them. They forget easily. My dad has always been like that. If anyone does him wrong, he considers the source and kept his cool. It took Team Gene, Team AQHA, Team Friends and Family to get my dad through his journey – thank you. His race may have ended, but ours has just begun.”
Finally, here are links to a couple nice articles about Gene. I know he would appreciate them and I wanted to share them with you:
- AQHA: http://www.aqha.com/News/News-Articles/2013/June/06142013-Gene-Graves
- Grand Island Independent: http://www.theindependent.com/opinion/editorial/gene-graves-was-one-of-grand-island-s-good-guys/article_6c555f30-d798-11e2-ad68-001a4bcf887a.html
Thank you again for your love and support. Gene will be missed by so many.
– Barbara
