Family Weblog

11/27/2003 01:34:17 PM

Special Notes

Another Thanksgiving!!

Today, Nicole Babcock, daughter of Donna and James (Bubba) Duncan gave birth to a Thanksgiving Day child, a little boy by the name of Keaton Lee, I understand that both are well and recovering this day at the hospital in Bowling Green. Bill Winstead let me know that dinner will probably be served late tonight!!! Welcome to the family, Keaton Lee...and Happy Thanksgiving to all!!!

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Family Weblog

11/23/2003 02:07:00 PM

Special Notes

Happy Thanksgivin
In Remembrance,

In Remembrance,

During my last visit to Kentucky, and as a result of that visit, my dear mother established contact with one of her closest friends that she had as a young woman of 19-20 years of age. Her name was Pansy. This past week of November 16, 2003 my mother received a letter from one of her sisters, Rena, that Pansy had gone to be with the Lord, on November 5th; the same day as the last letter she had just recently mailed Pansy. One of many letters she has written to her since my return from Kentucky. Praise the Lord, Pansy was saved since a small child, and I am sure she is spending this Thanksgiving in the presence of the Lord!

My mother was heartsick to not to have been able to see and embrace her friend once more in this plane, while they both were alive. She had been planning and hoping for a trip to Kentucky this coming spring to see her sisters, Rena and Ann, and of course, her sweet, lifelong friend, Pansy. During the past year, I had telephoned and spoke to Pansy several times, acting as my mother's ears to carry on conversations between the two women. I can understand my mother's deep sorrow at her loss of Pansy, and her frustration also of being incapacitated by age, not being inclined or able to travel great distances without severe jeopardy to her health, also. Recently she lost her own brother, and was unable to see him for much of the same reasons. She not able to travel, and he not willing to leave his home, either.

Here on the eve of another Thanksgiving, I reflect on how much time and circumstances play such important consequences in our lives. How time and circumstances can separate those who love each other, sometimes to the point of mental obscurity. Each of us in our lives meet and make acquaintances with people that we come to love and mean dearly much to us, but because of the circumstances of our lives, we must move in different directions that prevent and prevail upon us to forego, unintentionally, further close contact with those we love. They go one way, we go another, and while yet we still hold them dear in our hearts, we sometimes loose contact with each other. Time and distances play a large part towards that end. Such was the case with not only Pansy, but my mother's sisters, Rena and Ann.

I think of my own family, and those that I love, and have been close with over the years, and those that I have, with no malice aforethought, have neglected to maintain close ties with, either by letters or telephone. Days lead to weeks, and weeks turn into years, and the years fly by.

Now another Thanksgiving is upon me, and I cannot help but wonder in awe and how many true blessings that I have, and have had throughout my life, and cannot help, but want to say to each of those that I love, how much I wish the intervening years had not come and gone without more contact, than I ever maintained. I thank the Lord that I have my mother Elenore, my sister Jo, my father (Jack), and my niece Tara, that each of us enjoy reasonable health, but my thankfulness goes much further than my immediate, local family. I think of my dear natural father, and wish that I could have told him more often that I loved him, and I think of those who also loved him, my sisters, Sharon, Donna, and Connie, and my mother (Cathy) and all their own families, children and grandchildren. It pangs me to know that so many years went by without contact between us, and I regret for them and my parted father that he did not get to see his daughters grow up to the fine women they now are, and see their loving families. Thankful I am, now that there is once again contact, and I have been able to see them and meet each of them, and that I know they are doing o.k., and like my local family here, are enjoying reasonable health, and have the Lord in their family also, and pray that they know that I love them also.

I get letters once a week from my Aunt Elexene, and look forward to each one, as does my mother, Elenore, every week, and again thank the Lord that she is doing as well as she is, that my Uncle John is still in good health, and enjoying a long life, and my cousin Patty, and Judy, are still with their family. I thank the Lord that I was able to come to Kentucky again and re-establish a relationship to an uncle that meant so much to me as I spent time in Kentucky, and means so much to me now as an adult. I thank God and the Lord that I have had the time to meet Patty's daughter, Ashleigh, her husband Justin, and their precious daughter, Taylor and that I get letters from her sharing her daughter and her family's life with me, as though I were her uncle.

I thank the Lord that I have my own children, Jacque, Cody, and Katie (my beloved adopted daughter) and her mother to share in my life, and I in theirs.

I wish that I could be with each of your families this Thanksgiving, and each of you could be with mine. We all have a lot to be thankful for. I love each of you, share your love with all, and be sure and tell those you love, that you do, and do it often, often, often. Happy Thanksgiving.

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