There once was a boy
Named Josh
And he loved a truck.

Clifford.
That’s what he named his truck.
Clifford the Big Red Dodge.
His first truck.

They first met
Because the boy
Loved mowing lawns
In the summertime.
He loved being outside
In the sun
And cutting the grass.
And he wanted
To mow even more lawns
To grow his business
So he could earn enough
To serve a mission
Because he loved God.
So his dad
Introduced him to Clifford.

Clifford wasn’t perfect.
He had rust above the rear tire
And a loose side mirror
That sounded like
The window was open
When driving at high speeds.

But the boy didn’t care.
He just turned up his music
A little bit louder
On the cheap stereo
That he and his friends
Bought and installed.
And sometimes the stereo
Wouldn’t work quite right
Or at all
And he would have to
Poke it with a pencil
To help get it working again.
And the boy loved it.
He loved driving
With the windows down
In the sun
Singing to his music.
The A/C wasn’t great.
But he didn’t care.
He had the wind in his hair
And the world at his feet.
That’s how he felt
Driving that truck.

And oh the adventures
They had together!
Driving to and from his high school
And his friends’ high school
And dances
And trips
So many trips
To the gas station
And fast food
And Scheels
And rodeos
And rallies
And off-roading.

And there was the time
That he and Clifford
Bent the tie rod
Oops
And accidentally bumped into
Another car
And a concrete wall
In an underground parking lot.
But Clifford weathered it all
Like a champ.

Then high school ended
And it was time
For the boy to go
Away for 2 years
And serve a mission
Because he loved God.

He knew Clifford
Would probably be gone
When he got back home.
But they had to part ways
And say so long,
And the boy understood.
But, understanding
Doesn’t always prevent grief.
And the boy was also sad.
So while he was gone
For 2 years
He would think about that truck
And all of the memories
That they shared together
Like good friends.
And he would smile.

And then a miracle!
When he got back
Clifford was still there.
More worn for age
But there, nonetheless.
And the boy was happy.

And so they made more memories.
Ah the memories.
This time there were trips
To and from college
And work.
And even more trips
To the gas station
And fast food
Dates
Rodeos
Concerts
Bonfires
Biking
Shooting
Fishing
Off-roading
And Clifford was there
For all of it
Like a champ.

There was also the time
That he made a soda commercial
For fun
With his brothers
And with Clifford
As the backdrop
Of their amateur masterpiece.

But the 4th of July!
That was his favorite!!!
The boy would gather up
All of his flags
And hoist them all up.
And it was a sight to behold
Because Clifford was bold red.
Then they would drive around
Flags flying in the wind with pride.
Pride in his country
And in how
Saturdays Are For The Boys!
And then he would
Recruit his siblings.
And they would
Line the truck bed
With a tarp
And fill it with water
For a makeshift pool.
And blast music.
And then drive around
While the water
Sloshed to and fro
And they laughed
With delight
In the sun.
And then they would watch fireworks.
And life was good.

And when all the trips
To and from
All the school
And the work
And all the food
And all the fun
Caught up to Clifford
The Big Red Dodge
And the truck was even older
And they had to part ways
And say so long,
The boy
Who was also older now
Understood.
But, understanding
Doesn’t always prevent grief.
And the boy was also sad.

So just like the time
When he was on his mission,
He would think about that truck
And all of the memories
That they shared together
Like good friends.

And he would smile.