SCENE IN PASSING
MARIE WHITEHEAD herald@mediactr.com
Wisdom can be found in the most unlikely places. From the Great Law of the Iroquois Confederacy, it is learned. "In our every deliberation, we must consider the impact of our decisions on the next seven generations." This is a motto of service on a bottle of Seventh Generation laundry detergent. If this is good enough to promote soap for clothes, it is also good enough for us to remember in the daily routine of life. You can see that I am thinking specifically of the Texas State Railroad. We haven't measured the years of possible good through our study and research, but we have discussed it in terms of many years to come. The TSR was resuscitated as a vehicle of tourism's growing industry in 1976. That's now more than 30 years. How many more will we obtain through decisions made here today? With the help of concerned state legislators and thousands of citizens across Texas, we will save the parks of our state for at least seven generations.

With the arrival of Spring this week, East Texas is bursting with new glory. Our down-the-street neighbor, Mrs. Jerry Williams (Sara Nell), reported the possible eruption of wisteria blossoms on the property near her, just off U.S. 69 S. She's not sure of the show this will create, but in years past, it has been among the sites sending cascades of lavender, like a waterfall. We have an outcropping of yellow jasmine, more prolific in blossoms than I've ever seen. They were a gift to me from my beloved Mom.

A number in our population have sustained a return of the "crud." Others have taken it to the pneumonia stage while some carry tissue and mumble something about "allergies acting up." Whatever folks are suffering from should be gone soon.

On our list of friends heard from is RHS grad Crystal Vaught, daughter of Karen and Chris Vaught. We've been privileged to track her progress on the road of life. It has been interesting. She e-mailed us from the International School of Stavanger in Norway. She is the athletic director and instructor of language arts and geography. She wanted our office to know that she is now able to find the Cherokeean Herald on line. She was so excited to be able to "see" what's happening in her former home town, as reflected on the pages of this paper.

Crystal was impressed with the quote from Dr. Martin Luther King recently, who said, "We may have come here on different boats, but we're in the same boat now." She is sharing with her students a recently published book about the life of Dr. King.

It was great to hear from Lithana (Fanny) Sessions again in California. It hurts to feel her pain; I have experienced homesickness. It is a piercing pain of the heart for which no pills have been created. She wanted a recent edition of our area's phone book. Sounds like she plans to reach out for a few minutes relief with a call to some of her special friends.

We hear that Ronny Norton is convalescing at home. His beautiful wife, Dottie, managed an exit from the hospital with Ronnie on March 10, but had to return to Tyler where surgery was performed March 14. She is healing slowly.

And dear Hank Watson, a former staff voice on radio, visited last week. He is amazed at how well he is doing, considering the seriousness of his malignancy and the extent of surgery. He and Jimmye are very grateful for your thoughts and prayers. Mary Goff is struggling to find better health. She had the misfortune to collide with a hot heater. She had just celebrated her 95th birthday last month. Our neighbors, Jim and Joyce Turner, were able to attend church Sunday. Jim is mending, not rapidly, but getting better. More recent neighbors on Bonner Street, Frank and Barbara Alewine, had to pause for her medical help last week. She was hospitalized several days in Tyler with pneumonia. Their daughter and son-in-law are a part of the outstanding faculty at RISD.

Friends and family grieved the loss recently of Leader Mae Turner. She was an outstanding school teacher before we moved here. She had been a customer of the owners, Frank and Marie Main, purchasing paper goods for her creative classroom projects. She continued to buy from us. She was a special inspiration to her students, family and friends. I was fortunate to be one of them. If Heaven can provide her a place to teach students, she will be their blessing.

Mrs. Clyde (Nancy) Phillips reports her spouse has recently benefitted from two surgeries. A pacemaker was installed and a hernia repaired. She suggests he is a little impatient about being totally well. We agreed that feeling really good takes a while. Most of us wait forever to visit a doctor and then. We want instant "better." It is an unwritten law of our generation. Flipping the light switch to "on" and receiving light instantly, started it all. After that, life has never been the same.

Our dear grandchild, Lauren, returned to Boston University Sunday after a much enjoyed spring break home. Watching the clock at home and estimating her time of departure brought tears to my eyes. It was already a weepy day for me. I had waved goodbye to six young bulls Saturday, headed for the other side of Fort Worth. That young bull at the end of the trailer watched me until he was out of my sight. He had the saddest look in his eyes. I don't think he wanted to leave his "home." But at least our grandgirl wanted to return to school. Blessings must be factored in, to help balance the good and the bad on this life's journey.

Love has been an emphasized theme in this quarter's Sunday school lessons at FUMC. Here's a new to me thought, on the subject. "Love finds us all, one way or another. Love gives us reason and hope. Love wraps its wings around our weakness and carries us all the way home." Comforting, don't you think? Keep smiling.