The Day Is REALLY What You Make It !

Hi Steve & Linda,
What a neat blog and very positive. I think many of us have had neat experiences and interactions that makes for warm and cozy feelings.... plus of course makes life oh so meaningful. Then too, such experiences really helps shape our personalities and goals in life. I thought I might share this lifetime experience with you --- if you don’t mind taking a few extra minutes to read. It’s really from my heart. I have my very own version of the successful play/movie “Tuesday’s with Morrie” experience. Because of my “ Morrie”, in this lifetime, I am on my third career ( Special Education, Medical Receptionist and now Natural Foods Broker) and all have hopefully helped educate me and be compassionate to those I encounter. I feel this lifetime is for me to be helpful to others. I’ll share this true story with you..... When I was a freshman @ the University of Missouri, I was not the greatest student as I was more interested in my new found freedom, dating and the social life of college. My major was nursing and all nursing students were required to attend summer school during the first year and then take an anatomy course during the summer session. After the first exam which I really had studied for, I realized that college and the academic lifestyle was not for me as I froze on my anatomy first major test and turned in a paper with literally just my name on it. I was very depressed as I really wanted to be a nurse with a BS degree... Not just an RN. I wrote my parents a note telling them that I didn’t think I was college material and if I called, to please not ask any questions but instead, just come and get me. My best friend strongly urged me to go talk to the professor before giving up as she thought a lot of him. I did go see my professor --- Dr. Herb Brown who talked with me for some time. He then suggested that I go back to the lab and retake the test ---just for fun — no pressure for myself and then come back and we’d talk more. I did retake the test, “Dr. Herbie” as I would call him graded my test and --- I had scored an 88/100. He convinced me to keep trying and that he would be available to help me academically or if I wanted to just talk. I did get an “F” on that exam and then on the following tests, I made a D, then a C, then a B. He caught me goofing off instead of studying for the final as I told him I had already failed his course, so why bother. I got such a lecture --- “ that I had not failed his course or any other course until I took the final and that I should get my body home and study!” When my parents came to get me after the finals, they wanted to meet my ‘Dr. Herbie” which they did. After returning home I eagerly awaited getting my post card with my Anatomy grade and when it came, it simply stated --- “Delayed, see you in September”. I really did not plan on returning to college life, but that postcard intrigued me as well as my parents. When I returned to school for the Fall session and met with Dr Herbie, he told me he really didn’t know what kind of a grade to give me so he proposed that I could either retake or audit his course and my only requirement was to retake his 4 exams and the final and then this would be my final grade. I did audit his class and ended up with a grade of “B” which pleased me. From my sophomore year till I graduated, I spent many hours just talking with Dr. Herbie and his family became my surrogate family. His wife Betty and their two children became my adopted home away from home. He really was my mentor--- my first really true professor who cared about his students. His family became a part of my family as we shared so many of life’s milestones together --- our marriage, both of our special anniversaries, children/grandchildren, graduations, etc...plus we took our children to meet and visit with them so they could see and meet some of the people who influenced and help mold me growing up. We have shared so many wonderful experiences together and it wasn’t until about 5 years ago that Dr. Herbie told me that my father, may he rest in peace, spoke to him WEEKLY --- not only during my 4 years @ college, but ---till he died, as they became dear friends and spoke weekly for another ~~ 18 years! December 19, 2007, I received an email from my adopted sister saying that Betty had a seizure during the night, could not talk and was paralyzed on her right side and to pray for her recovery. After daily updates, unfortunately, Betty went into a coma and died December 26, 2007. She was so full of life and active in the community and just weeks prior, had chaired an Arts Fund Drive raising thousands of dollars for the Arts. I could go on an on as how wonderful she was but since Dr. Herbie and Betty was always their for me, we went to Columbia, Mo. to be with him and “the family”. Luckily, my husband of 43 years was also loved and adopted by this wonderful family so as we mourned for Betty, we shared many memories as this special bond which has been going strong for 48 years. Betty had sorta planned her funeral and picked out several quotes such as: “You can shed tears that she is gone or you can smile because she has lived.” What I found most interesting with her selections, is for my father’s tombstone, I had the following engraved “ Forget I died, Remember I lived”...... We both really thought so much alike. So you see, when you speak of doing simple acts of kindness and love for our fellow man, Dr Herbie and Betty are the perfect examples and my heroes. We have both been the givers and receivers all these years and we are so blessed to have shared much of life’s blessings --- and I am sure Betty is with my real parents and looking over us all. And Dr Herbie – although unthinkably difficult to loose his lifelong love to whom he was married for 64+ years-- he keeps on going, is now 85 years old and in fairly decent health. He’s being extra strong these days and still teaching us all how to accept life ........ and death.
The Day Is REALLY What You Make It !
Thanks, Annette