Heart problems!

Most people know the song by Tony Bennett - "I Left My Heart in San Francisco" - well, San Francisco is a beautiful city - I have been there many times. However, I left my heart in Mansfield MA. Actually it was stolen by a very sly, con artist. He stands a little over 2 foot tall - blond hair, blue eyes and a killer smile. His name is Sawyer Matthew Low and he is our grandson.

He started out innocent enough. Giving us an evaluating look - "I have seen you people before - hmmm - easy targets as I remember!" He followed this with bigger smiles - slobbery kisses - and then heart breaking hugs. Whatever his style - he is good!

Ed, Scott and I flew into Providence RI on 16 July. Dawn, Greg and Sawyer met us at the airport and whisked us off to Mansfield. Much better accommodations at the hotel Low than any three star resort!

Sawyer has a bigger schedule than most Hollywood socialites! He has speech therapy, feeding therapy, PT,early intervention - play groups etc. He is growing and I think he is gaining weight - (Just try holding him for a long period and you realize he may look petite, but he is solid as a rock!)

Crawling has been long mastered and while he was just beginning to "pull up" when he was with us in TN in April, he springs up like a jack in the box now! Nothing and I mean nothing is safe at table height when Sawyer is in the room. He has a very good memory too. He knows when he sees items of interest (His Grandpa Ed's eyeglasses for example) on a table and he will check periodically to see if they have reappeared unguarded for him to explore.

He loves the computer printer and just KNOWS anything shooting out of that machine has to be for him. Thankfully his mommy is quick at retrieving the printed documents.

One of Sawyer's biggest challenges is gaining weight. He eats well, but his grandpa Ed calls him a "hummingbird" because he is never still! Once his eyes open, his body goes into high gear. He is not walking yet - but he crawls, rolls, pulls up and just is a total moving machine!

We had such a pleasant visit and the weather could not have been better - well a few degrees cooler would have been nice - but no rain and being from TN, we know a summer day means HOT!

Seeing Dawn and Greg with Sawyer gives us hope for his future. As the mother of a child with m/r and the local president of the ARC here, I have an opportunity to meet with parents frequently who have done very little to prepare their child for the future. Many parents are agreeable to sitting back and waiting for others to plan for their child or specifically tell them what to do. Often it does not happen. More often the guidance is incomplete or just plain wrong! Raising a special needs child is not for sissies! You have to forget all the manners and niceties we have been told to observe by our parents. You have to be proactive - and sometimes downright rude! No one and I mean no one will fight for your child like you will!

Dawn and Greg are fighting hard for Sawyer. They are giving him every opportunity at normalcy. Honing the skills he has shown he has and providing him with the edge to get new skills for the future.

I have always known my baby girl was amazing. She excelled at everything she wanted to do. She set high standards and reached them. She organized and executed her plans for the future. Williams Syndrome was not part of that plan. So now she and her husband plan to conquer or at minimize the effects of this obstacle on their son. As we are learning - no one can tell us what exact problems Sawyer may have - they may be large or maybe not! He has shown us he learns well, he has an intense interest in the world around him - and he is pretty sure most of it should be his!

Spending a week in Sawyer's world was a blast! We went to the beach (2 times), we visited the Children's Museum in Providence RI, we ate Godiva Cheesecake at the Cheesecake Factory and we got to hug and love on this wonderful family treasure! Of course we brought home a ton of pictures and videos to last us until we get our next visit in Sept. Best of all, we brought home HOPE - AND FAITH in Sawyer, in Dawn and Greg and in God -through Whom ALL THINGS ARE POSSIBLE!!

(KEEP THE PRAYERS COMING - FOR THIS VERY BUSY YOUNG MAN AND HIS FAMILY!)

SHAKEN FAMILY VALUES

It has been an unsettling, (to say the least), week in Clarksville Tennessee this week. After a year of family turmoil, fears, successes and overwhelming bliss at Sawyer's progress, my faith in humanity was shaken this week by the actions of strangers and neighbors.

Early this week, it was hot! By mid afternoon it was in the mid to high 90s. Factor in the glorious southern humidity- and you can imagine how sweltering it was. It appears that a young mother, age 24, decided that a cool beer would be a refreshing addition to her day. So she drove to a bar, parked her car behind the bar in the shade (how considerate she was!)and went inside. Up until now, you probably think- so what is wrong with that? Has Joanne gone totally ballistic over drinking again?! Well, when she parked that car, she left her 3 month old daughter in the back seat! For 6 hours! 6 LONG, STEAMING HOURS!!

Patrons of the "Yes Dear" Bar say she repeatedly went in and out- but they had no clue her baby was outside in the car! At one point she got into a second car with a friend and went to ANOTHER bar!(leaving her baby unattended in the car parked behind the bar).

When the car was discovered by an employee of the adjacent business, police were called - but by now it was 5 PM and the baby ... was...DEAD. Body temp of 103.8. DEAD.

On the news that night they interviewed the bartender who said -"But she was such a good mother..." What? How could they say that? Tiny little helpless child, 3 months old - what could that mother have possibly done that was so good that it overrode the horrendous act of abandoning that child to go "get a cold one!"

Our community grieves for that baby - there is nothing we can do now to make little Faith's life better. Her suffering ended that afternoon in that oven of a car. She rests in the arms of God and is loved now - it is a pity she could not have been more treasured on Earth.

As if that is not enough for a community to absorb. Two days later, we, Clarksvillians, were greeted with the news that a local, church going family was arrested for (1)child abuse, (2) child rape (3) aggravated child abuse and rape. The persons arrested were the foster/adoptive parents of 5 children and the oldest adopted child of that family - a 20 year old daughter. Oddly enough it is the mother and sister who are charged with the "rape with an object" charge. The father is "only charged with "abuse". (almost makes him sound like the "good guy" in this local soap opera!).

I know this family. Oddly enough. Not personally, but as a frequent customer of our little charity thrift store. Sugar would not melt in this woman's mouth. She frequently talked of her church and all the activities she was involved with in that church. The oldest daughter - the one charged with rape etc. was often with her. She seldom spoke, a very very quiet young lady -(20 years old now). Now, here is something I am struggling with. The parents are black. The oldest daughter, Elizabeth, is white. They, supposedly, adopted her as a newborn. That would make it the late 80s. While I, personally, do not have any problem with racially blended families, I struggle to understand how DCS placed a white NEWBORN, blond hair, blue eyed baby girl with a local black family for adoption in 1988.

Anyone who is trying to adopt knows newborn babies are at a premium. Very hard to get a newborn baby who is in the legal system. Twenty years ago in the south - placing a white baby (6 weeks) with a black family - however wonderful they may be? unheard of!

I thought I might be over reaching here and talked to a friend this morning who is married to a black man and they have two beautiful daughters in their early 20s. I asked her if I was wrong about this being unusual in the 80s. She, too, thought it very unusual. She told me that when she and her husband traveled together, in the 1970s and 80s, one would go in and order food to go and they would leave. She said many restaurants in the South simply would not serve a black man with a white woman. She said they didn't want to break through any "color" barriers, they simply wanted to eat and it was not always an easy task in the South. Thankfully, that has improved but it has taken many years to get here.

The Perry's church put up $45,000 to get them out of jail. Lots of controversy over that. Many folks are saying "innocent until proven guilty". Others say, "Not so quick to come into the community when you are charged with child abuse & child rape". Many are saying it was an abuse of church donations to use it for bail money.

Coming on the heels of little Faith's death in that hot car, most are concerned about the safety of all children in our community. We cannot sit back and wait for someone else to act when it comes to child safety. The days of not acting or not wanting to be involved in what may be a long and complicated court case are over. Cain asked God, " Am I my brother's Keeper". The answer is "YES". We are accountable for what we know and how we act on that knowledge. We are charged to be compassionate, caring for one another. Giving a stranger a smile and a simple "good Morning" - could change the day for that person. It just might change their attitude and the direction of their day. We all need to be noticed - acknowledged and valued. We each need to make a difference in the lives we touch!

On a happier note - next week we get to "touch" those we love with a quick trip to MA to visit Dawn and her family. Scott is really getting excited about the plane trip! Every time he sees a plane on TV he says - "DAWN" -quickly followed by "and Greg". Of course, we get to see our precious little warrior, Sawyer. Dawn tells us he has become a champion stair climber! Last week when they SKYPED us, we heard Sawyer tell us "ALL DONE"! Such a sweet little voice - liquid love!

So in the midst of hellish acts locally, we find a beam of light ahead with family visits. Children are such blessings - treasures - and they grow up and march off into their own lives so quickly. Treasure them today while they are young enough not be embarrassed by hugs and kisses from mom and dad! God Bless!

Today is the 4th of July! What does that mean to you? Independence? Liberty? Freedom from talking French or like a Brit? Probably not, sadly to say! In most cases, patriotic thoughts are probably clouded by thoughts of firecrackers or hot dogs!!

Now, there is nothing wrong with hot dogs - or hamburgers or that famous down south barbecue! Infact, it brings an over-abundance of saliva to my mouth just typing the words. (and an over-abundance of padding to my behind!)

Over the years, we have celebrated the 4th in many ways. As a child, I usually went to Cedar Point for a family picnic and day of swimming with my cousin, Jim and his family. Now, Cedar Point in the 50s was NOTHING like it is today. What we had, was a lake (Erie), some trees and picnic tables and a huge ferris wheel that made you feel as though you were dropping into that lake- and I think there was a merry-go-round. Pretty much, that was it. We stayed in the water most of the day, running out to grab something to eat and go back in the water. (My Aunt Louise would be yelling out about waiting 30 minutes and how we were going to drown of cramping).

I remember they had part of the lake partitioned off with a rope. One side for swimming - the other (and larger part) for the fishes. I can remember holding on to the rope and swinging my feet into the deeper water. My older, and wiser cousin, Jim, teased me that I had better get back on my side of the rope because the fish would bite my toes "over there". I quickly complied, never thinking:I WAS STANDING IN LAKE ERIE - THE FISH DID NOT KNOW WHAT SIDE THEY WERE SWIMMING ON! Still, I felt safe on my side of the rope!

After a long day of being in Lake Erie, eating more than I should have, we would load up and go sit on our car hoods and watch a wonderful fireworks show. Maybe my childhood memories are grander than they actually were, but I do remember them as amazing! Unfortunately, my Aunt Louise would start badgering us to get in the car and leave early to "avoid the traffic" long before the fireworks ended. Usually, my cousin, Jim, would hold her off. At that point, what was to be accomplished by leaving? THOUSANDS of cars were sitting "in the go position" in the same parking lot. Of course, we kids always fell asleep on the way home: sunburned, dirty, full of hot dogs and cokes and dreams of gigantic firecrackers in the sky!

My daughter has always been a fan of the 4th. She was still too young to understand the Bi-Centennial in 1976; however she was very vocal on wanting to see the fireworks. Even though it was past her normal bedtime- clad in PJs we drove to a hillside where we could watch the star-spangled skies. She cried. No, she screamed, she cowered on her daddy's chest. She begged to go home after the first explosion of light. Even more determined than his strong willed daughter, was my husband who declared,"Hell No! She has made our lives miserable all week begging to come here - and she is going to stay and have a great time!" She did not have a great time that night- but I think he instilled a love of fireworks in her that remains today.

For many years, we also have had a tradition. Our good friends, the Clarks, aka Steve and Carol, have come here for a BBQ and then we drive out to Fort Campbell Army Installation to watch the fireworks. Steve likes the red ones and ooooooos and ahhhhhhhs with our son Scott. A few years ago, Carol saw a "smiley face" in the sky. No one else saw it and Steve really teased her about that. However, the next year we all saw it and she was vindicated.

When you think of it, it is amazing that we had a July 4th to celebrate at all. The idea that all the inhabitants of this new world wanted independence in 1776 is rubbish! Most did not participate actively, if at all. Many who did support our little rag-tag army, did so with the thought that the British would soon put a stop to this non-sense and we would go back to colony status. But we won this little scrimmage. If it had not been for the intervention of other sources, (French, Spanish etc), who did not care a fig about our "independence" - they simply wanted a piece of the pie in the colonies if they agreed to stop helping us! Silly French - they did not expect us to actually "GET INDEPENDENCE" - just a new "Dependence on them".

Our forefathers were not real big on Liberty and Independence either. Oh! they liked it for themselves- but they were not really into granting liberty or freedom to slaves or indentured servants, native americans (indians), religions (other than their own), females (HA!).

Our forefathers were a pretty exclusive (small) group of rag-tag guys who started something that got out of control.

It spread like wild fire - and it still burns in the hearts of those who have it, those who want it and those who are willing to put their lives on the line to get it and keep it!

We buried one of those patriots this week in Clarksville. He was 20 years old and a recent Clarksville graduate who was serving his country in Iraq. 20 is too young to die - for any reason. Thank you Joshua Lee Plocica. I did not know you but I appreciate your love of this country.

SO HAPPY 4TH OF JULY EVERYBODY! ENJOY THOSE HOT DOGS, HAMBURGERS, BBQ AND BAKED BEANS!


ENJOY THE SOUSA MARCHES, THE FLASHES OF RED AND GOLD IN THE SKY TONIGHT!


THEN TAKE A MINUTE TO HOLD YOUR LOVED ONES CLOSE AND SAY A PRAYER THAT THE EXPLOSIONS IN THEIR LIVES ARE RESTRICTED TO THE FLASHES IN THE SKY ON A 4TH OF JULY NIGHT!

GOD BLESS YOU!