October 2004 The Megaphone Page 6
by Julie (Stout) Crim
I've
thought a lot about two anniversaries that belong to me this month. They are extreme
opposites. On September 20, Marvin and I celebrated our 2nd wedding
anniversary. It's amazing how time flies, two years, 730 days. Wow!
We are living a life of extremes. Right now we live in an extremely close environment,
a 33 foot motor home. We're both retired so we live together 24 hours per day.
We eat, sleep, play and simply exist together. We shop together, we do all
things together. We are each other's best friend besides being husband and wife.
We are very close and would have it no other way.
Four days separate two dates. Our wedding anniversary, a day to celebrate love
in the finest sense . . . and the other, a day to celebrate love in the darkest sense,
a day of tragedy, a day of mourning, a mourning that will never be completed.
All the hopes and dreams and feelings of love . . . remembering the
quickening, the first time I held that newborn babe, his first bed, a beautiful bassinet,
his first smile, his first word, his first steps and in no time at all . . .
his first day at school. Shortly after we moved to London, the two older children
returned to school and he was lonely and sad that he couldn't go too. At the age
of almost four, he thought he was "big enough." One evening his daddy
came home from work and before he could unzip his jacket we all heard a small
noise. A tiny white head popped out and there was a little puppy. It was instant
love on both sides. Timmy, the puppy, and Shawn were almost like a match made in
heaven.
Years quickly slid by and then . . . I remembered his wedding day, so full of
love, hope and happiness, so much promise. He had been an insulin dependent
diabetic since the age of 14 and still, he appeared healthy. Their future was
bright, nothing was impossible, they were going to conquer the world with their
love.
And then, two years later, the fruit of their love, Brenna, a beautiful dark
hair baby girl, so precious and perfect. Life held such sweetness.
He was a master woodworker. He made his wife and child many beautiful things, a
bed, a china hutch, a chair, a table, a curio cabinet, boxes, a stool and more.
He made many things of love for Rennee, his wife, that would last a lifetime.
Today I wonder, whose lifetime?
At present, Brenna is 13 years old and her daddy died one year ago today. Her
mother is full of anger and I can't help her, God knows I've tried. I mourn my
lost son everyday. I sat at his grave and wept for what could have been.
Could I have been a better mother? Did I always do the best I could? Could I
have been different, teaching him more and greater wisdom? Could I have changed
his life, turned it around? Could I have prevented this tragedy? I know the
answer is "No." My answer to all these questions that circle my head
is "No, no, no. I could not." I did the best I could with what I had
and what I knew . . . just like most mothers.
Now he's gone, gone for all time to this world. My third and last child, my
baby.
JJ
aka Julie (Stout) Crim '57
Klamath Falls, Oregon
To Feed Or Not To Feed?
by Cindy (Benedict) Odom
The discussion of whether to feed wild life or not has been a topic of late. Should we feed the birds and other wild life?
It may be for our own personal enjoyment; however, don’t the creatures we choose to feed profit from this? Do the recipients of our feedings become dependent on us entirely for their food? If we feed them, can these wild creatures not hunt food for themselves? Having a little common sense could be in order if one chooses to do this . . .
"Let’s
not get too close to that big bear!" I remember my dad thinking it was so
remarkable to have a baby squirrel take food right out of his hand . . . how my
mother thought it was so cute to see snails visit the pet food dish she had
sitting on the back porch . . . and seeing my elderly neighbor man after he
became bedridden, watch with delight, the birds at his window feeder. Did these
creatures become so conditioned to this they were unable to locate food in their
natural environment? What about at harvest time when deer visit the cornfields
to feed, or hawks and turkey vultures soar over the alfalfa fields for any kind
of creature or insect? Is this a form of "furnished feeding?" What
would happen if the farmer did not plant and harvest corn or alfalfa?
In any event, these are wild creatures, residing in a rank of nature. They are indigenous to the land, and are not cultivated. Can they remain feral after we decide to feed them? Nevertheless, we cannot resist the chance of getting a glimpse of the tiny hummingbird or gold finch that frequents our feeders, or the wood pecker that time and again wanders from the tree to the feeder, and the raccoon that revisits our trashcan in search of a mid night snack. We want to be able to see the deer graze on the left over corn in the harvested field. And watch the birds soar above the fields in search of food. When all’s said and done, a number of people will continue to feed birds and other wild life. I for one, have faith that they do well when away from my feeders and trashcan.
Nothing happens that God doesn’t allow.
Cindy (Benedict) Odom '69
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