Robert L. Harding, Jr,. faced the chaos of the modern world with a timeless wisdom. “It is what it is,” he would say whenever difficulties arose in his life. Let’s be clear–this was not some statement of defeat; rather he spoke from the strong position of releasing the things he could not control. He was a powerful man because he saved his energy for what really mattered–and what mattered most were his wife, Mary, the only woman he ever loved; two sons, Bobby and Justin, who followed his example in marrying Shelley and Shawna, extraordinary women themselves; Angela, whom he embraced as a daughter; his eight grandchildren who inherited his gentle, good humor; and his many friends and co-workers.
You should know that Robert was a man of the people. He was equally comfortable with those he encountered for the first time at the river as he was with those in AA meetings with whom he stood shoulder to shoulder for more than 40 years. You should also know he was a man of God. Attending Alcoholics Anonymous changed the course of what was once a self-destructive journey and, through his daily meditation and surrender, he developed what he called “an understanding with God”. He learned to change the things he could control and let go of those he could not.
Robert was also a man who embraced work. This was the Harding way. If you knew him, you witnessed how he served others with so many accumulated skills: he repaired automobiles, built a garage, poured cement, replaced faulty plumbing, and planted gardens. There was nothing he could not do because there was nothing he could not learn. And everything he learned to do eventually benefited someone he loved. He roofed his mother’s house. He replaced the axles in his brother’s car. And he probably could have fixed his beloved Huskers if only they had asked.
In 1998 Robert and Mary built a house next to his dad and mom, and for the next 24 years they cared for the older couple with such generosity and kindness that it undoubtedly prolonged their lives. Neither Dad nor Mom Harding ever had to go to a nursing home, and Robert and Mary’s attentive love was the reason why.
There will be many tears for Robert’s passing–as there should be for someone who made life better for everyone who encountered him. When a strong man is no longer strong, we mourn. When a man with wisdom no longer can speak, we are the poorer for it. When a cold mouthful of water becomes the best event in a once active man’s day, we count the loss as our own. Robert has completed his understanding with the Almighty. For us it is what it is–but for him it is forever glorious. There are no more difficulties in heaven.
So if you would take something from his time on Earth, be reasonably happy in this life, living one day at a time, enjoying one moment at a time, taking this sinful world as it is, and accepting that anyone can be transformed and everyone has worth. That was Robert’s way.
A celebration of Robert’s life will be at 2:00 p.m. Thursday, May 11, 2023 at Christ Place Church, 1111 Old Cheney Rd., Lincoln. Viewing will be from 12:30 to 2:00 p.m., May 11, 2023, at Christ Place Church. Informal attire is preferred. Memorials may be directed to the family for further designation.
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