Dealing with any kind of loss is generally difficult: financial loss, the loss of a relationship, the loss of a loved one to death, or even the loss of a special belonging. Nevertheless, dealing with loss is one of the biggest challenges we all need to learn to deal with as humans. For some of us, we may never move forward, but this only hampers our wellbeing.
After losing his Black Forest home in 2013 to a wildfire, and five years later losing his beloved wife Kaye to a cancer battle, 75-year-old Larry Cook has gained new reasons to continue his 27-year-long habit: walking eight miles virtually every day.
While his Colorado Springs eight-mile walk is a way for him to get physical exercise, both losing his home and losing his wife were some of the biggest tragedies in Larry’s life that he continues walking for, for mental clearance.
Talking about the time that his fire burned down, Larry remembers that “I only had about five minutes warning to clear out. So, we lost everything.”
But for this 75-year-old man the loss of his wife, whom he had been with for over 30 years, was excruciatingly devastating. “In terms of grief, that was nothing compared to losing my wife last year. That’s been the hardest thing to deal with,” he admits.
However, there is another major reason Larry continues his daily walks. After all, he knows exactly what pain feels like, he dedicates his walks to cheering up others.
“I wave to every passing car,” says Larry. “I’m from the deep South and back there that was our culture. You spoke to everybody you saw. If you couldn’t speak to anyone, you waved.”
Waving to those passing by not only reflects Larry’s culture but makes him feel good that he’s acknowledging others with a friendly greeting. “I guess more than anything, it’s just unexpected. As you’re driving along and you see somebody walking, you don’t expect them to wave to you.”
Waving is such a simple act with big meaning.
“Just to think that even if I can bring a moment of pleasure, even if it’s momentary in somebody’s life then, yes, that makes me feel good,” he continues.
After all, a wave can do wonders for many folks. It can melt away one’s loneliness and remind them that they are not alone, even if they think they are.
Even after having a recent rotator-cuff surgery, Larry still partakes in his long walks, waving to hundreds along the way with his “good” arm.
Over the years, his polite gesture has become a hit in Colorado. Some residents refer to him as “the waver.” Some even stop to greet him first. Perhaps one of the greatest aspects of his daily walks is getting to see some of the passersby grow up from a child to an adult.
“He grew up watching me and he’s an adult now,” says Larry about one young man.
Although he has been doing what he does now for almost three decades, he has no plans stopping what he is doing any time soon. “Well, I’m 75. I would hope that I’m good for another 15 years. The day that I have to give it up will be a sad day for me.” In fact, even when he travels on the same route, his daily walks are still a refreshing experience for him.
“32 years, I’ve been living in Colorado and I still get high looking at those mountains.”
All in all, there’s a lot we can learn from Larry. One of those things is that there are safe and healthy ways to handle pain. More specifically, he teaches us that you can turn pain into something positive. And most importantly, Larry teaches us that even just a brief wave or other kind gesture of acknowledgment can do wonders for others’ lives. “I’d like to think that if everyone would make a little special effort to be friendly to other people, it would help.”
