MY TIME ON BUSY STREET

Any other time of the year you could walk down this street without any problem. But for the last few days this short stretch of Mass. Street has become busy street. Massachusetts Street is the main drag in the business section of Downtown Lawrence. I've walked this stretch many times before. Normally I wouldn't have to worry about bumping into anyone. But not the last few days.

Saturday was the worst. The street was shut down to traffic. The reason? There wasn't any room for cars, because it was chock full of people. Thousands of them. It was a sea of humanity. Some of the fans were naked dancing on cars. Many, I know this will come as a surprise, were rather incoherent because of all the alcohol they had consumed. I'm not sure of this, but I am pretty certain the naked dancers had taken a nip or two before they took off their clothes. Street sweepers were getting a workout on Sunday morning. You can find several videos on line. Check out this site to get a feel of how crazy it was. http://video.aol.com/video-detail/ku-final-four-win-celebration-april-5-2008-lawrence-kansas/1759641444

I talked to Lauren Massey of Olathe Kansas on Monday morning. She talked about what an ordeal it was Saturday. She arrived early to camp out at one of the establishments to watch the game with some of her closest friends. But in order to hold the seats she had to buy food. She spent so much money that she planned to spend last night watching the game at a friends apartment. She would hit busy street after the game.

As I strolled down Mass. Street I couldn't help but notice that everyone was in blue. Some students were already camped out in front of some of the establishments. I sat down in the Free State Brewing Company for lunch. They have an Ale Cheese soup to die for. The place was packed, and if you spend much time eaves dropping (journalists have a tendency to do this) you couldn't hear anyone talking about anything other than the Championship game.

After lunch I crossed the street, which was no small task since traffic was so thick. I made my way to a clothing store. That's where I ran into Liz, the perpetually pleasant and perky cashier.

Me: "Have you been busy the last couple of days?"

Liz: "Just a little!"

She says it with a smile, she's beaming.

Liz: "Actually it has been crazy for a least the last week!"

I pick up a final four t shirt to take home. I will be jumping on a flight late in the afternoon. I'll get home in time to watch the game. The shirt is a bargain. It has been reduced to $9.99. They are extremely confident at this store and the others on Massachusetts Street. They have to sell these shirts, to make room for the Championship t-shirts. Championship shirts haven't hung on these racks for 20 years. This morning they will be in the stores. But this busy street is likely to stay quiet for a few hours today. The party went on into the wee hours of the morning. No need to rush out to buy the championship t-shirts, they'll be hanging in these stores for the next year.

WORDS FROM MARY JO FOR MARY JO

I thought I would share the words of Mary Jo Jordan. She's pictured at the left with her husband Fred, and two sons. My sister is my mothers' namesake. This is the eulogy she gave at the service for my mother. Mary Jo Walter passed away at the age of 92.

Mary Jo Jordan: "Mary Jo Malone Walter was always full of the joys of life. These joys came as gifts from the heart. Her children received these gifts from her ability to role model that what was right.

A sympathetic nod let us know that she cared when we struggled with illness or injury. Empathy was the lesson learned.

Thoughtfulness came across each Christmas and birthday.
It is better to Give than receive was the lesson learned.

She continued to hope when times were difficult as her spouse was dying.
The lesson learned was courage.

Games were played day after day even though she settled many a dispute. And the lesson learned was cooperation.

She stood loyal to each of us in good times and bad.
And the lesson learned was unconditional love.

She spoke of the value of learning daily.
And the lesson learned was education is that which lifts one's spirit from oppression.

She endured decades of music some dear to ear and some not.
And the lesson learned was each of us must find our own identity.

Her outgoing personality endeared herself to all that knew her. Never denying the person she was from within.
And the lesson learned God created us to be unique.

My mother's radiating charm and happiness always impressed others.
And the lesson learned is self respect.

She often brought back memories of yesterdays.
And the lesson learned to be proud of your culture.

Serving people and nations everywhere starts with serving somebody somewhere.
And the lesson learned security comes from knowing there are those we can depend on, but in the end knowing others may depend on us as well.

Mary Jo made sure we knew that the divine light within and around us leads on the path on good. And the Lesson learned Guidance. That guidance now leads us to know that the fullness of a tranquil life is granted to those whose hearts have been guided by a generous and loving mother.

Thank you MOM from: Ann, Janet, Fritz, Larry, Kathy, Michael, Patty and your name sake Mary Jo."

My sister Mary Jo and my sister Patty know a lot about lessons. They are both educators. I also taught for a time at the University of Maryland. It's in our genes. My mom was a teacher. For relatives and friends reading this, you'll be happy to know that the family has decided to create the Mary Jo Malone Walter Memorial Scholarship fund in her honor at the Humphrey Nebraska School District. Tax deductible donations (certified 501 (c) 3 can be sent to the Family Foundation Incorporated at 26893 Bouquet Canyon Road Ste. C 332, Saugus, Ca 91350.

FINDING TREASURE

I'm only going to add a couple more posts on my time in Southern California. I'm doing it for selfish reasons, but hopefully you'll get something out of it too. My daughter is away at sea and I'm hoping she can capture some of the flavor of what happened last week as we said farewell to my mom. That's my mom on the left on her 90th birthday. She's pictured with my younger sister Patty and her daughter Lindsay.

Today I'm writing about the treasure chest. It doesn't look like it though. I've spent some time there. My siblings have been there too. It's a small apartment, nothing to speak of really, but it's a treasure chest to all of us.

I volunteered to help my sister Patty box up items to give away to Goodwill. It's so funny as you pick through these items an untrained eye would think most of it could go to Goodwill. A coffee cup here, a small little curio there, but all of these things are treasures to me. I remember when they arrived in my life, I remember the shelf they landed on. I remember who gave them to my parents. I remember it all.

I found myself grabbing this and that and tucking it away in the box that will be sent back to me here in Washington. At one point I found some old documents. A letter of recommendation for my dad written before he left Nebraska in the 1940's. I was supposed to be helping with the cleanup effort, but I was useless. Each item I came across I would marvel over. I punctuated every half hour with an expression like this one, "Hey look at this!"

But my sister Patty found the real treasure a journal written by my mom. It became the basis for her eulogy...which I'm printing below. Perhaps by learning a little more about my mom, you'll learn a little bit more about me. We are a product of those that raise us. I'll share my eulogy in the next post.

Patty: "In celebrating my mother’s life today I want to begin by sharing some thoughts and memories I came across in a journal I found in her apartment this week.

Her story began when she was born in January 1916 at her grandfather’s farmhouse in Madison, Nebraska. She noted the temperature on that day was 28 degrees below zero and her godparents were Mary Sweeney and Jo Malone, which is why she was named Mary Jo.

Her younger brother John Edmund was very dear to her and they spent their childhood together. He passed away in 1997. Growing up she enjoyed playing hopscotch and reading, which she said “was her thing” and dreamed of becoming a teacher like her father who was the superintendent of the Humphrey School District.

She also noted that growing up her nickname was “Baloney” which gave my daughter Lindsay and I a good laugh, because that was also one of her catchphrases when she didn’t agree with someone.

She wrote that one of the hardest times growing up was living through the Depression, but there were good times as well, as she remembered that they led a simple life and they went on small trips and camped.

When she was 17 she went to live in a college dormitory with 250 girls at Wayne State Teacher’s College. She returned home to teach in a country school. She was paid $45 a month and did everything from starting the fire in the morning to sweeping the floor at night. She had 26 pupils in grades 1-8 with one needing to learn English.

She met my father on a blind date when her friend Cora insisted she go along so Cora could meet the other boy. Looking back she remembered her favorite years being those when she was Mrs. Walter and the mother of all her children.

And I can attest to the fact that she was a wonderful mother to all of her children. Most of you have known my mom for some time, and therefore know that she was a very strong woman. I suspect much of that strength was purely because of the cards she had been dealt in life. She was a widow at a young age with 8 children and she had to find inner strength to deal with that.

Another well known fact about mom was that she did not think much of the medical profession…specifically the doctors. She would say that they just wanted to fill you up with pills, and she took chemistry so she knew better than that. As you can imagine, against her strong will, it was not an easy task to get her to go to the doctor. A week before she went into the hospital, she caught a flu virus and my sister Janet called her to say she was taking her to get checked out by the doctor. My mom announced that that was a crock and she would have to make her go, which is what my sister ultimately had to do…make her go.

As my mother’s physical condition became more fragile in the following week I struggled with the decision to take her to the hospital because deep down I knew that if I took her she probably would not be coming back home. When she offered no resistance as I told her the plan, I realized that she had to be in tremendous pain. She never complained, and never wanted to be a burden to any of us.

When at the hospital, it did not surprise any of us when the doctor came into her room and announced to my brother that my mother had a very strong heart. He attributed it to good DNA, and though he may have been partially right, I know her heart was strong because it was filled with love. I am the baby of the family and have sometimes been labeled as “the favorite”. But I am here to tell all of my siblings that she loved each one of you dearly. When I would sit with her at her apartment she would go down the list and tell me who she had heard from and what they were doing. She was so proud of all of us and I think that is what gave her such a strong heart. She loved many things but most of all her family. As we gathered to visit her at the hospital she counted all the heads in the room and said “look at all I created.”

I’m sure all of her dear friends at Canyon Villas heard the many stories about all of us…so at this time I would like to take a moment and show you what she always said was her biggest accomplishment…her family.
My mother was a friend, sister in law, mother, grandmother and great grandmother. Although my heart is broken with her passing and I will miss her desperately, I know she will forever be our guardian angel and I find peace in knowing that she has reunited with our dad in heaven and is looking down on all of us now saying, “look at all we created.”

THE GIRL ON THE PHONE

It's Sunday morning and I'm in the back seat of a van in Southern California. The girl on the phone is crying. She's inconsolable. The girl on the phone isn't a girl, she's a woman. But she'll always be my little girl. My daughter Courtney is talking to me on my cell phone. She is in Vietnam.

Me: Courtney your grandmother was a teacher, she would want you to continue on.

(Courtney is away at a semester at sea)

Courtney: I should be there. I'm the only grandchild who won't be there.

Me: You'll be there in spirit. Everyone understands.

Courtney: Did you get what I wrote?

Me: Yes, it's beautiful.

(she emailed me a eulogy for her grandmother)

Courtney: Will Trevor read it?

Me: Yes.

The next day, Monday I introduce my son who strides up to the lectern and reads his sisters words. Here is what she wrote, and what he said.

"Regardless of the fact that I grew up thousands of miles away from Grandma she has made a powerful impact on my life. Mary Jo Walter was one of the most beautiful and strongest women I have ever known. She was firm in word and action, always ready to stand up for what she believed in. I won't hesitate to say that in my new found womanhood I hope that I mirror her strength and beauty. And now I'm tens of thousands of miles away, but I wish with all my heart that I was in California right now with all of Grandma's beautiful and strong children, grand children and great grandchildren. Not so I could cry on your shoulders, although I'm sure that would happen. Not so I could find comfort in your hugs, although I have no doubt that this would occur as well. I wish that I was with you guys to rejoice, to celebrate the beautiful, genuine, long and inspiring life of Mary Jo Walter. I've realized over the past couple days that even though I'm not with you guys I am celebrating her life- we all are- with every breath we take. Even though I can't sit with her or talk with her or laugh with her anymore, her wisdom will stay by my side, and her laughter will ring from my heart for the rest of my life. In the end the miles make no difference- my heart is with every one of you. Love you all. I miss you guys.I love you."

Tomorrow more words of remembrance from the service in Southern California.