RIP Mr. Rick

We first met Mr. Rick when the girls were very young. I think they were eight or nine years old when they started taking golf lessons with him. Every summer they would carry their golf clubs to the driving range for lessons. I always say that he taught them to drive. As soon as they could reach the peddles, he allowed them to drive the golf carts. He would take them out to play a few holes during a lesson. When they came back, one of the girls would be driving the golf cart. Mr. Rick often had them compete for the longest drive, closest to the hole put, etc. The winner would get candy. Once in a while he'd give them single dollar bills. I always told him that he was spoiling them. He said it was because he had so much fun with them. The blond twin decided not to play golf any more, so she stopped taking lessons. The brunette twin continued every summer. Every year about Christmas, we'd get an email about the next summer's lesson plan.We moved from Christmas 2020 into 2021 without a Mr. Rick email. I told Daddy that I hoped he was ok and Covid-19 hadn't hit him.When text came in March, I teared up. Mr. Rick was battling leukemia. He was diagnosed after the brunette twin last saw him in August. He said he was going to try to hold a few lessons this summer for a select group of his long-time students.We immediately signed up. Mr. Rick was a constant summer presence. Even if he would only be able to hold a few lessons, we were in.Today we found out that Mr. Rick lost his cancer battle. The brunette twin sobbed uncontrollably. The blond twin kept saying that she wanted to see him. It was heartbreaking. Sometimes people come into your life and become extended family. Mr. Rick was more than their golf coach. He was their doting life coach. We are so lucky that he came into our lives and we will miss him terrible.