This weekend, I got the sad news on Facebook that one of my former teaching colleagues had died. Bob was one of the four "core" teachers on my 8th grade team--social studies-- for the first 2-3 years that I taught middle school. Then he retired...not because he was old, but because (I think but can't prove) that his doctors wanted him to do something less stressful.
Bob was a runner...in great shape...a little guy without a hint of fat on him. He had coached cross country and maybe even track. Every year, he ran the Indianapolis Mini-Marathon. He was an affable kind of guy that his students and team members loved. Back in 1996, he had a bone marrow transplant for leukemia. He came back to teach and was doing well for many years...but then the cancer returned in his retirement. He had a transplant last spring from a foreign donor...only this time, host/graft disease took over and began to shut his organs down. He was in great pain. His wife, whom I didn't know, made daily posts on a hospital-supplied website where people could read about his progress and leave supportive messages. (Interestingly, I was the recipient of one of those "significant health event" websites when I had my brain aneurysm. I still have the printed messages!) God bless his dear wife, she never left a hint of despair in any of her posts. Bob--and family--had fought his cancer for 20 years. Now, her long vigil is over. I pray that God grants her and their college-age son the same peace that He finally gave to Bob. Bob Huffman was 60.
Gave my last Sunday School lesson on Sunday. It was a bit deep and selfish...and maybe somewhat boring to some...about the differences between love for self, love for others, and love for God--and what constitutes "enabling" and/or being "supportive". I am glad to turn over the reigns to the next group!
I went to my former school this afternoon to help my ham bud there conduct BARC (Bulldogs Amateur Radio Club). We only have ONE taker--a young lady from the high school who is cute as the dickens and would make a great radio operator. I hope she hangs with it. I would LOVE to introduce her to the radio world! My "ham bud" is Rick, WW9JD, the 7th grade math teacher who had just had a gastric bypass operation the last year that I taught. Sure enough, I hardly recognized him! He has probably lost 100 pounds and looks good! Getting to the school was interesting, however, since the main road is blocked off for construction. I got a tour of the countryside that I have never seen before!
The focus at church for the last few weeks has been "Live simply so that others may simply live". Giving is the idea. I've thought a lot about this. I don't know how much more simply I can live! I have a tiny house and an aging car. I basically do nothing for fun if it costs money, unless it is for/with the grandchildren. Occasionally, I go out to eat with friends, but not often. The only vacations I get are usually paid by my daughter so I can escort the grandchildren to California for visitation. Most of the time, however, there is too much month left at the end of the money. Like now. I continue to scour the pantry to see what I can fix to eat with what I already have. (Rest assured, I'm not starving!) Ya know...I wish I were rich--not so I could have more but so I could give more. If someone were to offer me all of the riches in the world, I wouldn't know where to start. I would pay off my house and find another, get a new car, and start giving the rest away. Honestly, at this point, I think I am giving more to the church financially than I can afford. I could step up my volunteerism, I guess. Don't have a good answer!
Still haven't finished the jewelry box project. I got stuck with what I should keep and what I should pitch...and what some of the stuff is worth. Oh, well!
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