News - Plaza Presbyterian Church

Tom’s Tidings

I recently engaged in some summer cleaning. That process, not yet finished, has led me to wonder if boxes in attics and garages actually grow in number while being ignored by their human owners. Nonetheless, I found some things that proved quite meaningful as I wandered through “treasures” I was saving for reasons unknown – until now.

First were the cards, letters, and notes that were sent to me and our family at the time my parents died in August/September of 1993. Many of them came from you, members and friends of our church. I read again your kind words of love and care intended for another time, yet hugely helpful the day I went through them. And while I was not prepared to discover any of these notes or to find them so meaningful today, there was something else that moved me deeply. Many notes were written by people who have died since 1993. I never expected to see their handwriting again, to “hear” their voices as I read what they had penned, or to have them come so alive in my memory. But it happened. It was a joy to pause and be related to these saints once more. And it is a joy to remember your part in getting me through that difficult time. Many thanks!

I also found photographs of my first birthday, a Barnard Elementary School baseball team, my first home, plus college trips and youth retreats and even some pictures of me in places that are lost in the recesses of my memory. I discovered my report cards, papers regarding my father’s service in the Army (mid-1940s), and notes to my Tulsa family from the 1940s and 50s.

Discovering all these remnants of earlier times leads me to a profound sense gratitude for memories – long past and more recent, and especially for the ones you and I are making today.

Grace to you and Peace!

Tom

The FUNERAL FELLOWSHIP FUND helps with the costs of providing meals and receptions at the time of death. Mark your checks for “Funeral Fellowship Fund.”