Van and Martha

Each day as I sit and think at points of rest in the day's activity, I am flooded by thoughts of old friends - many whom I never see anymore, and with the thought of each, comes a concurrent flood of emotions and memories. I think about them and can almost feel and smell and taste the times we spent together. I begin with Martha and Van.....

Martha and Van came into a very confused time in my life, when I was in the midst of sorting through what life meant, and stretching toward maturity - as when we stretch things, we either get to a point and snap back, or the cord breaks. I think my cord was about to break and they were greatly used to ease the tension and save the cord. Times with them rank among the happiest of my life. I believe they were almost a surrogate family to me, and they accepted and loved me as one would a child who had no home!

Many nights of long talks about the meaning of life and of God and Christianity were a common thing with them...long hours spent frolicking at the beach, climbing rocks, having picnics and a myriad of wonderful activities so carefully disguised in the costume of fun that I never knew they were really college classes in maturing - they taught their lessons in a loving environment and in a loving mode, so that I only knew I was loved, not being instructed in leaving behind the parts of me that were messed up, and the remains of childhood in a grown up body. I can't remember rebukes, but rather encouragement to press on, and cheers of well done...who wouldn't like to grow up in a family like theirs.

Today, Martha is gone, and Van is older and lives in a new life where I have not known him well, nor even met many of the players in his life...yet memories go on and are so very real...every February, I silently say Happy Birthday Van, and every November, I bid Martha a Happy Birthday as well...and in the meantime, thoughts which often crowd into my mind of these two immediately bring an overwhelming nostalgia like none other....Thank you so much, God, for sending these two into my life and changing me through their loving attention and guidance.