There is selfish and then there is selfless. The second word is personified in the life of one person that I have known most of my life. Dr. L.P. “Pop” Neumann passed away this week and left a hole in the hearts of all who knew him. I write this tribute because he was more than a friend. He was a selfless person who thought of others first.
I can remember calling him at home with a medical emergency,knowing that I woke him up from a restful sleep. He would always say, “I’ll call the hospital and meet you there!” Then he would do just that.
He loved football and loved being on the sidelines taking care of our boys while they played the game he loved. Quietly tending their injuries and deciding if they should continue to play or stay off the field. One incident is burned in my memory. When my grandson was playing in the championship game as a sophmore, he got hit hard and seemed to be a little out of sorts. Of course, he thought he was fine and wanted to go back in the game, but Dr. Pop simply said “No” and then held Josh’s helmet for the rest of the game making sure he didn’t slip back in. He truly cared.
Dr. Pop left a legacy here in our small town that will forever be remembered. He never let others feel that they were unimportant, whether sitting in his office as a patient, visiting at the pharmacy, standing on the sidelines as an extra player, or playing in a very important game.
The most important two commandments given to us by Christ are to love God and love others.
Dr. Pop did just that and he will always be in our hearts.
Loving, Caring, and truly Selfless.
“The most important one……is this: …….. Love the Lord you God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength. The second is like unto this: Love your neighbor as yourself. There is no commandment greater than these.” Mark 12:30-31.
Have a blessed day! In Christian love,
Diane