What a week it's been! We've been on our little street for 25 years, and have grown close to our neighbors. One of them, 83 year old Russell, became ill a couple of months ago, and he was estranged from his family, and refused to go to the doctor, so we neighbors were taking care of him. My sainted husband was bringing him food every day, and keeping watch, but Russ needed care. So, Richard finally talked him into seeing another friend of ours, an MD (originally from Haiti) who actually was willing to come to the house and be kind to the irascible old man. Dr. Valery and Richard managed to convince Russ to go to the hospital, and got him an ambulance (at least, Russ had health insurance from his years of work.) Once under care in the hospital, he perked up considerably, enough that the hospital transferred him to a convalescent care facility, where he stayed for one day, then suddenly was back in the hospital in a coma. Russ died on Friday, February 23. Richard and I had cancelled a trip to Hawaii to care for him, so I called my friend who lives there to tell him we were not coming. I've known Ron Creager, a talented muscian and composer, since 1978, and he told me today that one of his songs, " Family" was recently performed at a leukemia fundraiser in Australia. It's a fitting memorial for Russ, so I invite you to view it. It reminds me of how important it is to be family to one another.
DR. Romance knows how important family is, and how it connects us. "W hatever we do to help one person has far more influence than we can realize. Each person we teach, encourage, or help to heal is then empowered to carry that teaching, encouragement and healing on to others." is how Dr. Romance put it in "Weaving the Web." Whether we are genetic family or "Family of the Heart," humans are pack animals, and no matter how we post on the Web, talk on our cell phones, IM, or text each other, we still need that face to face contact, and there are times when we must minister to each other hands on. God bless those who reach out, they're the real worth of the world.
Who have you reached out to lately?
What a week it's been! We've been on our little street for 25 years, and have grown close to our neighbors. One of them, 83 year old Russell, became ill a couple of months ago, and he was estranged from his family, and refused to go to the doctor, so we neighbors were taking care of him. My sainted husband was bringing him food every day, and keeping watch, but Russ needed care. So, Richard finally talked him into seeing another friend of ours, an MD (originally from Haiti) who actually was willing to come to the house and be kind to the irascible old man. Dr. Valery and Richard managed to convince Russ to go to the hospital, and got him an ambulance (at least, Russ had health insurance from his years of work.) Once under care in the hospital, he perked up considerably, enough that the hospital transferred him to a convalescent care facility, where he stayed for one day, then suddenly was back in the hospital in a coma. Russ died on Friday, February 23. Richard and I had cancelled a trip to Hawaii to care for him, so I called my friend who lives there to tell him we were not coming. I've known Ron Creager, a talented muscian and composer, since 1978, and he told me today that one of his songs, " Family" was recently performed at a leukemia fundraiser in Australia. It's a fitting memorial for Russ, so I invite you to view it. It reminds me of how important it is to be family to one another.
DR. Romance knows how important family is, and how it connects us. "W hatever we do to help one person has far more influence than we can realize. Each person we teach, encourage, or help to heal is then empowered to carry that teaching, encouragement and healing on to others." is how Dr. Romance put it in "Weaving the Web." Whether we are genetic family or "Family of the Heart," humans are pack animals, and no matter how we post on the Web, talk on our cell phones, IM, or text each other, we still need that face to face contact, and there are times when we must minister to each other hands on. God bless those who reach out, they're the real worth of the world.
Who have you reached out to lately?