"myers" <myers@penn.com>: for a friend, for life
David G. Hills (dghills@JUNO.COM)
Mon, 18 Jan 1999 18:50:33 EST
--------- Begin forwarded message ----------
From: "myers" <myers@penn.com>
> Subject: For A Friend
>
> Some of you know in August of 1994, when I was 5 months along with my =
now 4
> year daughter, I went to Cub Scout Trainer Wood Badge. For those of
you=
who
> don't know what that is, it's a week long INTENSIVE training session =
on how to
> more effectively train Cub Scout Leaders. You come back with loads of =
work you
> have "promised" to do. You have a two year time frame to do these
"thin=
gs" in.
> It's HARD during and after and sleep is something you for-go for that =
week,
> there is little time for it. While you are there you meet many, many =
people
> (our area covers Maine to Virginia, USA), different from Boy Scout WB.
=
You get >placed into groups of people called "dens" (you eat, sleep and =
scout with them in >the same cabin, guys and gals separate, of course!) =
with a Den Counselor to over >see things and give a little aid as
needed.=
Many dens form lifelong bonds, mine did >not. Three of us decided
betwe=
en us that since our Den Leader didn't keep the >torch going as she
shoul=
d have, we would do it on our own. Ever since then, we >have written
back=
and forth about our trials, tribulations and joys in life and in
>scouti=
ng.
>
> Let me tell you about Connie D'Avanzo. She, Dave Hills and I decided =
we'd
> write even if the others didn't. We did have lots to tell each other. =
We
> worked hard for scouting while trying to keep our home lives sane in =
addition
> to the many other things we did. We were each others moral boosters. =
Just when
> one of us felt down, oddly we'd get a note (or an e-mail), or when
some=
thing
> nice happened, they were there too.
>
> While at WB, we were always so tired, we needed help and humor. Connie
=
always
> could come off with a good joke. She seemed like she could always see =
beyond
> the days of "no sleep" ! And of course she and Dave (and others)
helped=
when
> my body wouldn't cooperate, lend a hand on the trails or whatever. I =
still had
> morning sickness at the time.
>
> Some time after Wood Badge she wrote about her husband leaving her
with=
loads
> of debt and no alimony. Connie also developed cancer that was very
inva=
sive to
> her body, hitting hard and fast. She wrote in her most recent letter =
to me that at >last she finally got the house - loads of hospital bills
=
and that was all. She had to >have rods and pins placed in her leg due =
to cancer. Still she didn't complain, she
> always maintained that things could be worse. Even when chemo took her
=
salt
> and pepper hair, she laughed about her new hair-do. Being an avid
scout=
er, she
> continued to scout as long as she was able to get into a place. She =
would
> always end a letter with "pray for me as I pray for you". She always =
had that
> "Cub Scout Light..." shining when she wrote. I now know her most
recent=
letter
> to me was a good-bye. I put off responding, with the holidays and all.
=
Now I
> will never get the chance. I heard from our WB Cubmaster that she is =
now
> truly home and feels no pain. She left the world of scouting the
Friday=
before >Christmas. Now I can only be angry with myself for not writing =
back to her, when >I should have. I hope I can locate the letter, I want
=
to keep it as a reminder of a >friendship that I shall cherish for a
long=
time. May (God, for those of you who >don't mind) the Great Cubmaster =
richly bless Connie now that she is with Him. I >shall surely miss her =
deeply.
>
> So remember people, especially scouters, you touch many lives, we
alway=
s talk
> about being there for the children. We must remember that we touch the
=
lives of
> adults as well, everyone we meet, perhaps with out realizing it. Put =
forth the extra >effort to look for flowers in the snow and be a better =
person to everyone you meet. >Life is shorter than we plan. Certainly
Con=
nie never knew four years ago the >turns her life would take. Seize each
=
day, shine your best and live life to the >fullest.
>
> Thank each of you for being there for me in your own way.
>
> Please pass this on to your friends, I hope it gets to her home
council=
in New
> York someday.
>
> love & fis, fil
> T/Tammy
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