Loving Your Neighbor
By Brother Bob Ruschke
One morning, in September 2024, I stood up to get out of bed and felt a pop in my leg. My femur spontaneously broke, but I didn’t know it. All I knew was a searing new pain was preventing me from putting weight on that leg.
Eventually, I went to a doctor, had an X-ray, took an ambulance ride to the hospital, gave a bone marrow sample and finally received a diagnosis. I had never heard of multiple myeloma, an incurable blood cancer that lives in the bone marrow, weakening bones and requiring aggressive treatment. It explained all the fatigue and aches and pains that I chalked up to getting older.
As word got out, people said the usual things, and my wife and I appreciated their sentiments.
“If there is anything I can do to help, please let me know,” they would say. Maybe it is wrong, but we have never felt comfortable asking for favors. As I got weaker, and chemo started to take over my life, I stopped doing yard work. My wife, who works full time and drove me to my appointments, was not prioritizing the yard either. Soon, our scraggly grass must have been the talk of the neighborhood. We were appalled at the sight of the yard every time we came home from chemo.
But one day, we came home to see someone had mowed the lawn. What a relief to both of us! Now we were caught up with mowing and could take it from here, we thought. But in about a week, we heard the roaring of a lawn mower, peeked outside, and there was our neighbor, R.W. Grand Master Larry Derr, mowing our lawn again.
Despite his busy travel schedule, Grand Master Derr mowed our lawn all spring and summer long — about once a week. Sometimes, when I felt well enough, I stood out on the front step and waved. Then, he would mow up close to me, turn off the mower and visit. It meant a lot to connect with someone, and it lifted my spirits.
We felt cared for and immensely grateful that he lifted this burden for so long, asking nothing in return. Grand Master Derr didn’t ask how he could help. He didn’t wait for us to ask. He saw where we needed help and just went to work helping, always with a smile.
This is servant leadership, and it is just one quiet example of many humble kindnesses I have seen our Grand Master perform through the years. When he speaks of civility, brotherhood, unity and enlightenment, it is more than words — these are values he puts into action — values we should all embrace.
But you don’t have to live next door to the Grand Master to be grateful for being part of our fraternity. Even though I have not felt well enough to attend lodge meetings at Ashara-Casiphia Lodge No. 551, Mount Joy, for over a year, my brothers did not forget me. They sent cards signed by many lodge members, and some brothers reached out individually, always lifting my spirits.
During my stem cell transplant treatment, I needed several blood platelet infusions, something I never thought would happen in my life. I felt the life-saving implications of the blood, plasma, platelet, bone marrow and organ donations arranged through the Masonic Blood + Organ Donor Program. The need to support this program — Grand Master Derr’s charity of choice — will continue as long as there are waiting rooms filled with blood and bone cancer patients praying for better health.
It has been a rough year; I am still recovering from the stem cell transplant. My hair is thinner, but I am in complete remission. Soon, I will start mowing the yard again, and I look forward to returning to lodge meetings. And I aim to shine the brotherly light that lifted me out of darkness in this season to others. Thank you.
