Hank

On Saturday, Ookyoung and I traveled from Quito to Ambato to attend the funeral service for Hank Burkhardt.  Hank and his wife, Pearl, are both from the States but have lived in Ecuador off and on for the past seven years or so.  

Hank was born in 1948 and was diagnosed with MS at the age of 31, and in the mid to late 90s moved into a nursing home in order to receive the care that he needed because of his condition.  As it happened, Pearl was working as a nurse at that nursing home, so that is where they met.  They developed a friendship there, and Hank ended up professing in November 1997.  He and Pearl were married in April 1998.  After that, Pearl was able to remove Hank from the nursing home to continue caring for him at home.  

Hank and Pearl arrived in Ecuador in 2010 and from that time on traveled back and forth between here and the States, spending several months at a time in each country.

Hank had been in a wheelchair since 1991.  When Hank and Pearl married, Hank could still use his right arm and hand somewhat, but in 2005, he lost even that.  Since I knew him, the only part of his body that he could move was his head, and that, only slightly.  

The thing I'll remember most about Hank was that he always seemed to be smiling.  He had a lot that he could have complained about, but he didn't.  He chose to be content.  And so, that's my lesson from Hank.  Happiness doesn't just come our way; we choose to be happy, even when life is difficult.  

And although death brings sorrow because of separation, victory is always sweet.