Except ye come as little children…

Freddie Bibbs, aka “The Butte Man” is a blessing to this valley. His spirit is enveloping. His smile can swallow you whole and his heart is larger than life.

He is the father of six children, all of whom live out of state and are somewhat distant from him. Yet his heart is always with them.

Freddie has so much love to give and hugs are his specialty. Life has not always been kind of Freddie, so one almost has to wonder — where does all this love come from? What keeps Freddie happy? The answer is as simple as a smile, a phone call, a prayer and a kind word. And, of course, his faith.

Freddie has such a tender disposition, but when he feels taken advantage of, he is not short on words to let you know it. He is the first victim of eminent domain. He owns ten acres of prime Butte property until one of those acres was taken by the borough. When he fought, he was stripped of even fair market value. He received nothing for his God-given land. The ongoing surveying and trespassing by borough workers has made him physically sick. Blood pressure as high was 239/178. He, at times, which is most often, wishes to not even leave his property for the intrusions. But I tell you true. We went from the doctor’s to my house and the 75-year-old ‘Butte Man’ cut loose in my front yard. He played and laughed and I watched as love came to life.

Later, when I got him back home I checked his blood pressure. It was 148/119. I realized as we get older we become so burdened by life that we forget to play. Therein lies our real happiness. And there, too, lives our health.

I guess that’s where the phrase, “you are never too old” comes from.

So let one of Freddie’s regular sayings be on the tongue of the young and old all across this valley and this country — “Be happy — our lives depend on it. It is the best medicine money can’t buy.”