The gratitude was so intense it was almost mystical, like something in the air. You felt it the instant you stepped into the tears and hugs of a farewell gathering Thursday at an Outer Harbor picnic shelter, even before Tanice Pendergrass provided the little crowd with a way to put that appreciation into words.
She led Tommy McClam to a bench in the middle. Pendergrass, a strategic manager for Say Yes Buffalo, said anyone who wanted to offer thoughts on “P.T.” – short for Pastor Tommy, his longtime nickname from church – could do so, one by one.
What they said went beyond thanks. They spoke of grace that shaped their lives.
Among those stepping forward was Xavier Lamar, 19, part of the Breaking Barriers program for young men of color that McClam helped initiate in 2017, with Say Yes as a base.
Lamar recalled going to a scholarship event two years ago while facing big problems he thought no one could understand. The frustration bubbled over, visibly, when he struggled to tie his tie in a Windsor knot.
McClam noticed. He led Lamar to a mirror and flipped up his collar. In classic one-generation-to-another fashion, he began tying Lamar’s tie while listening – really listening – as the young man poured out his worries.
Lamar, now a student at the University of Albany, thanked McClam Thursday “for always looking out for me.” In front of everyone, without reservation, he said words McClam heard again and again, all afternoon:
“I love you very much.”
…
Read the full article here
Leave a Reply