ComputerHunter.org |
|
|
|||
|
 |
A Life Touched
Direct Answers - Column for the week of February 17, 2003 Back when I was in grammar school, every once and awhile I would meet up with a girl my age and talk. Lisa never was around much, but she was always very sweet and nice. In 5th grade she was assigned to my class. She was absent a lot, and one day I had the courage to ask why. She told me she was sick, and she explained she wore a wig because her medicine made her lose her hair. We left it at that. Anytime Lisa came to class--a rarity--I would hang with her on the playground. I received much ridicule from my friends for this because they thought I was snubbing them for Lisa. My family upbringing taught me to be nice, and I felt Lisa's needs were much more important than others I knew. It had been months since Lisa was in class, and one day our teacher was crying. She explained Lisa died the day before and would no longer be our classmate. She told us Lisa fought a battle with leukemia for years. I was stunned and shocked. Lisa never spoke of her illness as if it could kill her, and I was a very innocent girl in these matters. Well, all those years I have kept Lisa in my mind and heart. When I pass milestones in my life, I reflect on Lisa and say a prayer for her. I've had strong feelings of late to locate her mother and father. I'd like to tell them that though they never met me, their daughter had a sweet, profound effect on my life. I have no idea what her parents' first names are and don't have money to hire a detective. I read you column and realize you are not detectives, but hope you can point me in the right direction. I pray regularly and believe something or someone is encouraging me to make this connection. I hope my connection would not hurt or upset. Lisa was such a lovely girl. Maybe her parents would be comforted that after all these years they are not the only ones who remember her. Cynthia Cynthia, start with the school. You may get a lead from a former classmate, alumni group, teacher, or the parent and teacher association. Don't overlook the newspaper of record where you used to live. It probably published birth and death records including parents' names. Former neighbors may also help. Reference librarians are invaluable. They can steer you to public government records and genealogy groups, the experts at tracking families. From among these sources, you will find someone who can help. Our lives are our relationships, and sensing a deep purpose is natural. Tamara Another Victim When I read Esme's letter, it immediately took me back to my own childhood when my mother would warn my brother and me, "Your father is on his way home, and he is in a bad mood today." What she called a bad mood was the effect of drinking, and we would actually hide in closets from him. Growing up in that volatile environment has affected me, even today. I relate intimately to the grown-up children you describe: people pleasers who judge themselves harshly, with constant feelings of dread and a need to be secretive. I want to tell Esme that not only did this impact my relationship with my father, but with my mother as well. I will never understand why she didn't see what staying with my father did to my brother and me. I will never understand why she didn't protect us. Sometimes understanding "why" an alcoholic drinks can lead to excusing it, and I would stress to Esme how detrimental this can be. If she does not leave for herself, she should at least leave for the children. Beth Beth, thank you for caring enough to share your story. Wayne About The Author Authors and columnists Wayne and Tamara Mitchell can be reached at www.WayneAndTamara.com. Send letters to: Direct Answers, PO Box 964, Springfield, MO 65801 or email: DirectAnswers@WayneAndTamara.com.
Google News - Top Stories
|
|
|
|
RELATED ARTICLES
Succeed by Whistling While You Work Mark Twain (1835-1910) believed that having fun is important if you want to be successful. The Great Challenge of Life Here's the great challenge of life - You can have more than you've got because you can become more than you are. Giving Can Overcome Language Differences I recently had to take a trip to Germany. It has been more than ten years since making my last international trip. I now have a renewed sympathy for non-English speaking visitors and residents in the United States. An Unquenched Thirst Direct Answers - Column for the week of September 9, 2002 The Rumble in the Jungle: Revealing Greatness The other night I was watching a documentary on that famous boxing match called The Rumble in the Jungle. The fight was between Muhammad Ali (Float like a butterfly, sting like a bee) and George Foreman. Innovation Management ? Being Receptive to Inspiration Creativity can be defined as problem identification and idea generation whilst innovation can be defined as idea selection, development and commercialisation. Circles On The Water ? The Impact You Make On People?s Lives When you were a child, or maybe even when you were older, did you ever toss a pebble into the water and watch the ripples that emanated from the point where it broke the surface? Or watched the effect of raindrops falling on a body of water? I have done these things and have since found myself pondering on this process, and just how much it can be compared to our lives. What Legacy Are We Leaving Our Children? Children can seem exhausting, annoying, wonderful, loud and funny all at the same time. They are a lot of work especially in the beginning years but what we need to realize is that they are our future so what we do with them in the early to teen years is important because they will become the leaders while we behold the golden years. How we raise them now affects how our future is in our later years and in theirs. When you see how our current situation is with illiteracy in schools, and crime, it can seem daunting to us. How A Sense Of Wonder Makes Life Richer It always amazes me when I meet someone who has a disdain for expansion of knowledge. Fighting Grief: The Time To Show You Care The news came as a shock to us all. He who had been ill for days had been taken to the hospital. It was found out that he had very high amount of creatinine in his blood, resulting from a stone in one of his kidneys. The Interactive Holodeck is For Real [Channelled] Go Between Direct Answers - Column for the week of June 16, 2003 Do You Have a Vision? You must absolutely have a vision, or a dream, for your life. Your dream is what will cause you to jump out of bed in the morning instead of waking up with anxiety or dread for the day ahead. Persistency - Element In Reality One of the keys to being successful in anything you do is persistence. Lets clarify the word 'persistence' :- It is ability to be persist on instances. And one of key element in this instances is your main Objective in life. Labor That Works Miracles (excerpted from The Challenge to Succeed series) You Are a Beautiful Person I wish that I could tell every person that I meet that he or she is a beautiful person--and have them believe it. I wish I could look them in the eyes and tell them of their beauty and have them accept the words for what they truly are--the truth, plain and simple. Forgotten Dreams: At the End... Part I Treasures of a lifetime... Stand Up! One of the most undervalued blessings is God's will to make every individual a unique creation. It takes all kinds of people to do the great work of the Lord's kingdom, and it's a good thing that each of us has special talents, callings, and gifts to serve this purpose. Working together, we can accomplish great things. Unfortunately, the world doesn't value unique character. In fact, being different often translates to being misunderstood. Is Transformation Worth the Effort? Soaring 700 feet above the forest floor is a granite dome two miles long and a mile wide. Stone Mountain, 16 miles east of Atlanta, Georgia, was the ideal site for a memorial to General Robert E. Lee. A Global Empathy Deficit- 2 Lessons "...We've got a budget deficit that's important, we've got a trade deficit that's critical, but what I worry most is our empathy deficit." ? Interview in O Magazine with Barack Obama.
|
|
|
|
|
