Roy’s Sunday Letter for January 29, 2023
- Refreshing The Sunday Letter: The Sunday Letter began in April 2020. Friends wanted to know about our return to Ft. Worth and adjustments during the Covid shutdown. Over-time the SL moved away from my original purpose. Today’s SL will attempt to share a personal refreshing with an insight or information gained during the week. Your Comments guide me… I read, appreciate, and respond to all.
** Beth and I will be in Amarillo this week. Beth and Tricia (her LPC partner) began The Hope & Healing Place, A Grief & Loss Center for Children and Families. The HHP board and staff are recognizing 20 years of the HHP mission and services with grieving families. 20 years doesn’t seem possible…Hope & Healing is the best, most enjoyable, position of service of my 50 yrs. in my nonprofit career.
- A 2023 desire is to relink with a Faith Community, Today, I will attend a Folk Mass at Trinity Episcopal. Anyone who went through the 1960’s was raised up and encouraged through music. I will let SL readers know of this new, different worship experience next week.
** There are wonderful friends to connect with in Amarillo, including touring the new facility of Family Support Services. The furniture store I renovated in 1994 as new Ex. Director, was destroyed by fire two years ago. I called Don Cantrell, founder and publisher of Accent West, a regional magazine. Don published three of my first writings, including a cover profile. Don’s wife let me know Don had died in 2019. Don was an encouraging friend to a beginning writer. Has anyone had the same experience??
- In 1979, Williams Bridges published Traditions, his 200-page writing of how we move through life stages and personal events, both good and those not so good. Bridges believes “there is no New Beginning without an Ending,” along with the Neural or Forest Stage between the two, I have known the challenger of the Forest, of Letting Go of all I was and had accomplished. Now I find myself in my own New Beginning, Appreciation to Dave, Richard, and always Beth for hanging with me…. daylight and clarity ahead.
** Our friend Sue sent us a 1940 published book teaching children to read and read for content. “Language Stories and Drills, Book 1.” On a front page, for example, children are playing with a dog. On the back of the page there are questions like “Name the three children playing together…. What was the name of the… What color was the dog?… Whose dog, was it? 133 pages. Where and when did this good book disappear?
Roy, eager to see Amarillo friends and share stories together
Have a great trip, Roy!
Roy, I appreciate your investment in connecting with your Sunday missives. I’m a soft customer – whatever you do is fine with me.
As for the Bridges transition model, I think it is a bit too tidy. For instance, when did you complete your ending with HHP? Will that be after the 20th anniversary celebration? Obviously both you and Beth have left active involvement behind and begun many new things. And the Amarillo folks have picked up the mantle and are carrying on in their own work. But some of it clings to you like a bit of dog hair, doesn’t it?
Bridge’s wrote his book at 45 in 1979. In 2994, age 70 she wrote in as new edition, there are parts w==he would do over….age 70 has experienced not know to the 45 yr old.
I had conversatoin after conversation in amarillo when transition, shift, alighnment, next steps was the primary topic
I have aged…they has aged. Different topics, shifting priorities.
Certain “trusths” touch asll of us afor different reasons and times……meaningful for one, not the next. Beth replied, “Its OK.”…..so not her time or reason.
The conversation continues….
I started first grade in 1945 and remember Dick and Jane readers and their dog, Spot. Sounds very much like what you describe. Of course, they were (and still are, you can find them on the internet) very white and middle class.
& happy kids…..growing up differently.
no black kids in elementary. different, even then, in jr. high.
WE are indeed blessed to see the continuation of mission and services. not every “go back” is that way.
i am reading, noting, and giving much thought to Transitions.
William Briddges writes ‘There is no new beginning without an Ending.” Veryl hard for me to let go of all I was for decades. And then leavding all that behind in move to Ft Worth, Covid shut down, don’t know any one and no one knows me. I am making it though, coming out and back.
Best to you two special people, friends, heroes in every way.