I can say with all honesty that I never knew a man like Ed Gulley, and I do not expect to meet another one like him. I am not prone to hyperbolic and patriotic declarations but I think Ed is one of those people who helped make our country great.
He was physically strong, of course, but he also had an inner strength about him that was an awesome thing to see. He just rose to every occasion. Unlike the cowardly and selfish windbags who claim to love our country today, Ed was not only a rugged and truly conservative person, he never lost his empathy or compassion for the vulnerable or the underdog.
He makes the men and many women in Washington look very small.
Nothing seemed too daunting to him, he never fled from trouble or seemed discouraged by it.
He would help anyone, anytime, and his love for his animals was a wondrous thing to see.
He had strong values, and he lived by them, and he respected everyone, whatever their beliefs. I never heard of him treating anyone with anything less than compassion and respect, two qualities that seem to have vanished from our public life.
A year or so again, we were at the farm where Ed was performing another of his farm miracles, he had just pulled a calf out of a struggling mother.
The calf was about the size of me, perhaps heavier, but Ed just heaved her on his shoulder and carried her across a wide and open field and into a barn, where he tended her until she was able to stand on her own, and then went and got the mother (he didn’t carry her.)
If this was any kind of strain, Ed never showed it.
Just another day at the office.
His strength was always reassuring, and whenever I needed any kind of help, Ed seemed to know it, and he would appear, in one of his wool caps and camo paints and make things right.
Seeing this picture – I am sending them to Ed’s family for the funeral – touched my heart and reminded me that I will miss this man a great deal, not only for what he was but for what he represents. I hope his spirit is not lost to our country, because in many ways he was what our country is, was, or should be all about.
Whether you know it or not, you just wrote Ed’s eulogy. It is beautiful. (Thank you for introducing me to this amazing man through your blog. Ed, Carol and your writing has touched my heart and has changed me).
Wow. This is an amazing photograph. It pretty much tells you everything you need to know about its subject.
I agree completely with Michelle. That stunning photo of Ed shouldering the newborn calf, and your writing about him, are the very best remembrances any person could ever hope for. You honored your friend beautifully. Thank you for that.