Stars in her pockets
I think that is the name of a poem by my friend Ken Nye. He is a dear fellow at my church who is suffering Parkinson's, terrible arthritis, AND Multiple Myeloma. But he says, "I will win." He doesn't mean he will survive all these things but that they cannot take him, his essence, away from him. His courage and ferocity in the face of such pain and loss are deeply moving. We'll be singing in our choir together tomorrow.
And I feel like I have stars in my pockets. Everywhere I go. So many sparkling moments, gratitude and joy and just appreciation and awareness. I went to a long and beautiful (and very sad) Celebration of Life memorial service for my neighbors' daughter Becky Schaffer. She was, at 23, a full-bore fearless humanitarian and ambassodor of good will and LOVE. The service had so many different voices. Becky was the only girl on the high school BOYS ice hockey team. Does that tell you how fearless and fierce she was? And so many people remember her for her acts of love. She kept in touch with teachers for the rest of her life. Even sent one a coconut, lol, like a postcard.
The ultimate message of Becky's life was summed up by her hockey coach.
1. Be with those who help your being. (Quote by Rumi)
2. Get better at what you do, every day.
3. Make a positive contribution to other people's lives.
And her mom, my friend Janice, said that Becky knew how to BE LOVING. That when we love, it's good, but we have to LIVE it and SHOW it. The difference between LOVING and BEING LOVING.
After the service, a friend played Amazing Grace on a bagpipe and we all walked the mile back to Janice and Bill's house. They had invited all 300+ people to come and share their love of Becky. I wish I had known her more but the few times our paths crossed she made a huge and positive impression. And today we all got a beautifully deeper understanding of this amazing young woman. Gone too soon. She actually wanted to go work with Mother Teresa. This quote seems to be just right for Becky, whom so many people remember for all the little things she did, with love: "We can do no great things, only small things, with great love."
Great love to all, to each mother and child,
Sarah
And I feel like I have stars in my pockets. Everywhere I go. So many sparkling moments, gratitude and joy and just appreciation and awareness. I went to a long and beautiful (and very sad) Celebration of Life memorial service for my neighbors' daughter Becky Schaffer. She was, at 23, a full-bore fearless humanitarian and ambassodor of good will and LOVE. The service had so many different voices. Becky was the only girl on the high school BOYS ice hockey team. Does that tell you how fearless and fierce she was? And so many people remember her for her acts of love. She kept in touch with teachers for the rest of her life. Even sent one a coconut, lol, like a postcard.
The ultimate message of Becky's life was summed up by her hockey coach.
1. Be with those who help your being. (Quote by Rumi)
2. Get better at what you do, every day.
3. Make a positive contribution to other people's lives.
And her mom, my friend Janice, said that Becky knew how to BE LOVING. That when we love, it's good, but we have to LIVE it and SHOW it. The difference between LOVING and BEING LOVING.
After the service, a friend played Amazing Grace on a bagpipe and we all walked the mile back to Janice and Bill's house. They had invited all 300+ people to come and share their love of Becky. I wish I had known her more but the few times our paths crossed she made a huge and positive impression. And today we all got a beautifully deeper understanding of this amazing young woman. Gone too soon. She actually wanted to go work with Mother Teresa. This quote seems to be just right for Becky, whom so many people remember for all the little things she did, with love: "We can do no great things, only small things, with great love."
Great love to all, to each mother and child,
Sarah
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