SCENEin Passing
Somebody is always going some place - somebody is always coming home.
MARIE WHITEHEAD
We are indebted to longtime friend, Ricky Richards,

for this high note from his family's recent travels. With spouse Cindy and daughter Ashlen, they dropped in at Marantha Baptist Church in Plains, Ga. for Easter Sunday services. The most well-known member of that congregation is former President Jimmy Carter. After he taught a Sunday school slass, which is a regular task for him, they proceeded to the worship service. Ricky reports, "After the church service, we went outside. While standing outside, President Carter pointed to Ashlen and said, 'You come here.' He then pointed for her to stand right in front of him, he took her by the shoulders to have a picture made with her. He was a gracious gentleman and he speaks regularly to his Sunday school class and keeps them informed of his worldwide travels."

Of the event, Ricky says, "It was a lifetime experience."

It just goes to show that when you pack your bag, leave home, you do it without being sure how the trip is going to go, or end. Isn't life much the same way?

Family and friends said goodbye Friday to a special angel in service to others. She was Margie Allen Wallace, born in Alto, and lived to serve many. Our family became quite attached to her as we watched her bathe our mom in love for more than year. Then she was a comfort to us as she shared her dedicated love and attention with our loved one. When that came to an end May 5, 1998, she moved immediately to another special need person. She was Thelma Smith. And after that, time passed more quickly for Margie and she too, became the receiver of others' love and service in her final years. We have a photo that is symbolic of Margie's life. With a doll bottle, she coaxed a newborn, orphaned kitten to live. Margie not only served, she was an inspiration to all who knew her. She inspired all of us to be the best that we can, whether family or friends. And yes, the kitten named Baby lived and blessed the world with more baby kittens. What goes around, comes around. This sounds like a plot line from a book. Maybe it is. We can go forward blessed by memories of Margie, and smile to think she has caught up with our Mom, and maybe Baby?

Ricky and Cindy k Richards (far left and far right), along with their daughter Ashlen, meet former President Jimmy Carter and his wife Rosalyn recently. The Jacksonville family attended Marantha Baptist Church in Plains, Ga., where the former first family worships.

Do you believe in miracles? I think I do, but believing does not mean that we will get them. To get them, we must work. One of the hardest workers in support of our East Texas Museum is Kevin Stingley. He sent word that "the" professor at SFASU came over recently and brought four grants that she had written for our facility. We know of this person who has been so encouraging and helpful in the past. Anyway, Kevin says her grants total $75,000. And she contributed a very generous check of her own. With the help of her students, the display of photos at the museum has been upgraded. Kevin says it's very professional looking. The grad students helped mount the pictures on upright display panels.

When you have a chance some Saturday or Sunday afternoon, stop in and take a peek at both the good and the bad. All recent help is most appreciated and results are evident. However. Take time to take note of the discouraging signs: the unpleasant odor of mildewed insulation, not to mention the visible signs of walls and ceilings and roof threatening to collapse. Will the grant money get here in time? Have you had an opportunity to send in a contribution to this valuable facility of service? It is the preservation of our history that guides Kevin's service. If you can't take or send money, send him a note of gratitude. He deserves it.

All of this helps us as he serves as a teacher at the junior high and a chauffeur for our youngsters who ride school buses. Yep, miracles happen. Sometimes they go unnoticed, kind of like Kevin.

Of endings and beginnings, the road of life offers many. Martin Luther King Jr.'s words give me the courage to complain. He said, "Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter." Rusk matters to me. And so do you. Keep smiling. mwhitehead@mediactr.com