Live like Clyde

On my water bottle is a sticker that reads, “Live Like Clyde,” and whenever I see it, I’m reminded of two special members of my family.

The first: my grandpy, Clyde Oberg. He died in September 2019. During his 95 years, he exemplified hard work, sacrifice and deep devotion.

At 35-weeks pregnant, feeling and probably looking like a manatee, I traveled from Boston to Alaska for Grandpy’s funeral. My cousin Olivia was pregnant as well, and soon after welcomed Grandpy’s namesake, baby Clyde.

Grandpy Clyde lived a long life, but baby Clyde lived only 8 months. He died, tragically and unexpectedly, in September 2020.

Baby Clyde was adorable, with white-blonde hair and clear blue eyes. His passing raised agonizing questions I can’t answer. Why do I get to enjoy my beautiful, healthy baby when Olivia couldn’t keep her little Clyde?

I attended baby Clyde’s funeral virtually, and “live like Clyde” was a theme. I wondered how I could emulate a life that lasted merely 257 days. However, as I’ve considered it, I’ve realized baby Clyde left a legacy that looms just as large as his great-grandfather’s without ever saying a word.

The first thing you’d notice about Clyde was his smile. This little boy smiled with his whole face, and though he lived in a time of social distance, he never met a stranger. All you had to do was look at him to receive a great big grin, and even a wiggle, if you were lucky.

Jesus Christ counseled us to love our enemies (KJV Matthew 5:44), but Clyde didn’t have enemies. No matter your color of skin, occupation, background — if you smiled at Clyde, you’d get a big smile back. How can I live like Clyde? I can see people the way he did — the way God does — as my brothers and sisters in Christ. I can love them, without reservation and without judgment.

Clyde was trusting. He knew his parents would take care of his every need, and they did. He was fed, he was kept warm, he was rocked (or strolled rather, for Clyde loved the outdoors) to sleep when he was tired. He was changed when he was wet and cuddled when he was sad.

The Bible teaches us, “Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.” (KJV Proverbs 3:5) Just as Clyde trusted his parents, I can endeavor to rely on the Lord. He wants all good things for me. Sometimes I may not understand why I am not getting what I think I need RIGHT NOW, but like Clyde, I can patiently wait and trust that I will be cared for.

Clyde packed more life into his eight-month sojourn on Earth than many who are given much longer. What adventures this little guy went on! Hikes, wagon rides, tractor rides, campouts — Clyde’s parents gave him a life filled with love, joy and appreciation of nature. As a seasoned mother, I know how hard it is to leave the house with a baby in tow, much less go camping and hiking! But Clyde’s example has inspired me, and I now try to bundle the kids up and go outside as much as I can.

Clyde’s brief life has made me more aware of how I spend my time in a more general way. I often assume my life will go according to plan. My plans include never losing any children, never getting a terrible illness or disease, never getting divorced or widowed, never experiencing a crisis of faith, and living to the ripe age of 90 before dying peacefully in my bed. The truth, however, is that nothing is guaranteed. We aren’t promised a long or easy life, and neither are our loved ones. So we have to make the most of the time we do have every day.

I think of baby Clyde when I stop scrolling social media during lunch and talk to my kids instead. I think of him when the housework nags at me, but I decide to rock my baby a few more minutes. I think of him when I go outside, and the cold — and the beauty of the frost on the bare tree branches — takes my breath away. We can do so many things with our time, and I want to try always to choose the best ones.

So, I live like Clyde: both of them. I’ve learned from Grandpy, whose life spanned from the Great Depression to the first black president and beyond. And I’ve learned from baby Clyde, whose life lasted less than a year. They taught me to love, to trust and to truly live. I think if I live like Clyde, I’ll come a lot closer to living like Christ.

Rachel Kenley Fry is a reader, writer, and member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. She is a fourth-generation Alaskan who is thrilled to be able to raise her four children here in Palmer for the next few months while COVID-19 rages in Boston.