A memory

Fourteen
Seventeen
Nineteen
Twenty-One
Twenty-Two
Twenty-Four

Many years ago Uncle Bryant readily cited the birth years for himself and his five siblings, which included my father. I don’t remember the context but I’ve remembered the years.
A notable item about the six Walworth children is they all received at least a bachelor’s degree; several earned a master’s degree. That’s an accomplishment in any era. Considering the economic depression that was part of their youth, it stands tall. All maintained a lifelong learning mindset as readers, writers, thinkers, people striving to enhance and make sense of their world.
They all lived long enough to experience retirement. The longest life and the last to pass, Peggy, lived to age 97. She died July 9, two weeks ago. Her memorial last Friday was a fresh reminder of the thoughtfulness, the inquisitive spirit in those six children. In the memorial card at Peggy’s funeral, her children included an example of their mother’s writing, a piece that showcases the art of asking questions.

Followers of the Way
By Peg Hafner

In our becoming “Followers of the Way,” we Christians are confronted with a curious dualism. We are threading our way through a marketplace of life choices – many of which appear to be equally valid.
Should we choose a life of action – attacking injustice and pain with Western style vigor? Or should we cultivate the deep springs of our spirituality and learn to walk quietly and humbly with our God?
Can/should the divine relationship in our lives be more compelling than human relationships?
Can we choose between responding to the voices crying “Life is essentially given,” or to those who say “We are responsible for our own lives?”
Do we feel at home in a scientific universe of expanding horizons and also maintain our awareness of revealed truth?
Is it possible to sense each person’s uniqueness and preciousness and yet appreciate the connectedness of everything and everyone in the universe?
In a confusing world where the answers are “both/and,” “either/or,” “yes/no,” “joy/responsibility,” there is no substitute for an innate sense of rightness –
When to be active – when to be passive
When to take action – when to let go
When to go outward – when to go inward
When to charge – when to “go with the flow.”
No book of psychology, or oriental wisdom, or even the Bible, can give absolute rules for living. In the end, staying in touch with the Spirit appears to be the only viable option for Christians. With St. Paul we must say “…let everyone lead the life which the Lord has assigned to him, and in which God has called him.”

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