This
is a story of losing my Best Friend. My Big Brother. His name
is Darrell Pate the oldest son of Ralph & Patsy Pate. He was
the oldest brother of 5 children. He had polio in his left leg, and
also had the loss of sight in one eye, due to an accident he had on his
job. He was married to Lynn Anderson for only a little over two years.
He helped his wife raise her two boys Aaron who was three at the time of
their marriage and Jake. He was the only Daddy they knew. Then
he had his very first child, a son, Andrew. Andrew was only 4 months
at the time of his death. So he never really got to know his Daddy.
He was here one day and gone the next. He was working on his dryer
at home and was electrocuted. It has been the hardest thing in the
world for me to go through this along with my family. I thought God
why? Why take my Big Brother he's our backbone in this family.
Very smart and Loved the Lord so much. He knew God's word, and he
and his wife taught Children's Church at Matthew's Church of God.
He was only 42 years young. That's not right he just can't be gone
forever. We were very close always even as kids and teens.
I talk to him almost everyday. But now it's been almost a year since
I saw him or his voice singing the praises of Jesus. He loved to
sing in church.
When we think
of Parents losing a child it seems to be the hardest thing in the world.
Most people forget us siblings that are left behind whether it's young
lives or older. We hurt too, and miss them very much. It's
like half of me is gone, my heart is broken into pieces. I don't
understand why, hopefully one day soon I will. I had such a hard
time I tried everything to cover up the pain by taking pain killers everyday.
As long as I didn't have to think about it, I could go on. But that
wasn't the way to handle it. I was tearing down my body and worrying
my husband and Parents very bad. So I decided to say to the devil
this is enough this isn't me, I'm a free go lucky kind of girl. So
now I'm facing this head on with no drugs. And it's very hard to
do, because I miss him so much. You have to realize dear Jesus this
is something that cannot be fixed. But Daddy's always are able to
fix things. But not this time, no one can. But you have to
trust in the Lord give him all your burdens to carry even if it's us He's
carrying.
April 23, 2002
@ around 12:00 noon, Jesus took Darrell to Heaven. Now He's my Angel,
that twinkling Star in the sky. I talk to him everyday. This
is your Anniversary April 23, 2003.
Darrell I miss
you more & more everyday that comes. But I'll see you in Heaven
very soon. I'm a little Jealous because you got to see Jesus before
I did.
Love You With
All My Heart Forever & Always
Your Sister,
Andrea Kimbrell
