Sarah's CircleFriends are blessings that sustain our journeys. |
This morning when I was doing my reading, which I try to do every morning, I started a different devotional book. It is a gift from a friend and is her book of devotions. It made me think about my friend Esther who wrote it and gave it to me. Esther was very much a person of peace, both inside and outside. She began life as a Quaker and it seemed that the peace and calm learned there continued to be present throughout her life. She was the mother of five children and when she was pregnant with her second child, she took thalidomide. The medication gave her and her husband a child with developmental disabilities. They placed John at Hissom as that was the best Oklahoma had to offer at the time. Despite the state seeking to distance residents from families, that didn't happen in this case. She and her family continued to interact with John and be present for him. When the Hissom lawsuit happened, they were not one of the suing families, but very much involved. It was in this fight that I got to know Esther better. She and I and some others started a group called Friends of Hissom. Our goal was to provide a family that would interact with and provide social support for residents when they left Hissom and while they were waiting to transition into new homes in the community. Esther worked tirelessly at this and also continued to work to find the best place for her son. I don't remember the number of families that were involved, but it did work and we were actually recognized for our organization by an award from JC Penneys. I really hadn't thought about this in quite a while. Esther was an inspiration to me and so capable of getting others to join and volunteer. At one point, she was the volunteer coordinator for First Lutheran Church. What I remember most about Esther was her calm, abiding faith and her unwavering kindness to all. I still miss her. She lived her faith out in her whole life. --Carolyn
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January 2022
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