Sacrifice...by Jim Terry

Just the other day, I was lucky enough to take a long walk after work along the cliffs adjacent to a beautiful beach, designated as a state park, here in California. If one walks to the brink of the cliffs and gazes over the edge, one might notice the beach. The sand is a pale yellow that has been fashioned by the slowing eroding clay-based cliffs just adjacent to the beach that are slowly surrendering to mother nature’s fury.  As you gradually gaze along the horizon, you also will notice the vast expanse of the Pacific Ocean. With its never-ending movement and white caps that are formed as the crest of the waves yield to the gravity that pulls it down, one might also witness a few ships coming into and out of port. And if you keep moving your head from left to right, now gazing towards the north, you will once again observe the faint silhouette of land jutting out into the sea all the while hearing the faint cry of seagulls in the distance and feel a gentle breeze that carries the sea mist that caresses your face.  

Photo © Jim Terry

As I finally found that one vacant bench to sit upon, I decided to take a minute to reflect upon and take in my beautiful surroundings. While sitting there and knowing of the upcoming holiday, I couldn’t help but to think of and be grateful for those that I have in my life but also those people I had in my life, which have been great influences.

Of course, one of the first people I thought of was my mother. Vast expanses of an ocean view were always one of her favorite things to experience. As they say about mothers, “A mother is she who can take the place of all others, but whose place no one else can take.” There isn’t a day that doesn’t go by that I still don’t think of my Mom, her kindness, her love and her influence in my life… "thanks, Mom!”

I also thought of several of my ancestors and how they had loved and influenced me. My Grandma Hattie was always fun because when we would stay with her she would transport us into a magical world by telling us stories about leprechauns and fairies. She had a room in her home that was “off limits” because that’s where the “fairies and leprechauns” lived. We could only peer into the room at certain times of day if we wanted to try and catch a glimpse of one.  To this day and because I believe in magic, I still believe that I had the one and only “leprechaun sighting” in my Grandma’s magical room. Oh and JFYI and because I now believe in leprechauns, I am going to totally disregard and discredit the fact that my grandma probably didn't want us in there because she had a lot of nice and breakable things that she didn’t want us kids to break! J

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In the morning after a good nights rest and if we followed her rules, she would also allow us to experience a small part of our Dutch heritage by making us ebelskivers filled with homemade jam or cinnamon glazed applesauce.  To this day, this still one of my favorite foods and memories I had the privilege of enjoying with my grandmother.

As I sat there, I also thought of my Grandpa Oliverson, Hattie's husband. I never met him because of his passing in 1965 at a young age. He worked for the civil service and was employed at the Toole Army Depot for twenty-four years. I have heard stories about his love of hunting and what a good man he was.  Someday, I will look forward to knowing him even better.

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I thought of my Grandpa and Grandma Terry and their love of the outdoors and fishing for bass at a place called Hot Creek in Nevada. One of my favorite trips every summer was to go and see them and go fishing with them in the middle of the Nevada desert. I enjoyed my time with them but also because there was a remarkable natural spring that sprang forth out of nowhere that became our swimming hole to escape the heat of the summer’s sun.

I also thought about all of my relatives that have served our country, present and past, and how important their service is to me. My Uncle Paul who served in the Army was always a fun guy to be around. His love and dedication to his family also carried through to his service and commitment to our country which also found him participating in the Vietnam conflict.

My grandmother's pendant.

My great Uncle Joe who served in the Navy during WWII was also a pilot. As the story goes, his plane was in combat and fired upon and hit­–both my uncle and his plane survived. I remember asking my grandmother one day where she got a necklace that I noticed she always wore. The necklace also included a pendant that was in the shape of a white heart.  On the face of the white heart was a hand-painted red rose.  Apparently, my great uncle had this pendant made for my grandmother from a piece of the shrapnel left inside of the fuselage of my uncle’s plane after it was fired upon. As my grandma continued on with her account, I noticed a slight break in her voice and a tear in her eye as she said he told her he made it for her because he wanted it to be a reminder of “his love of family; which could overcome any obstacle.”

As I continued to sit there on that bench and enjoy my surroundings, thoughts of loved ones and story after story filled my mind that afternoon.  As a young boy, I really never understood the Memorial Day holiday and I was always confused when I would see my Grandma cry when we would drive to Mink Creek, Idaho, year after year, to put flowers on my Grandpa’s grave.  Funny how I “get it now.”  It’s the sacrifice of others when acknowledged, that truly makes us better people. And whether that is one witnessing a loving grandmother placing flowers upon her husband’s grave in acknowledgment of the love and provisions he afforded his family or for the dedication or even the death of a serviceman or woman who serves their country, each and every sacrifice is significant. 

So on this MEMORIAL DAY, enjoy your time, be safe, be happy, enjoy your family and friends, remember loved ones lost, be grateful for those that are serving our country and always remember, “Great achievement is born of great SACRIFICE, and is never the result of selfishness." ~Napoleon Hill~

♦ Hope you'll let us share your stories and photos here at our residence "In a Nutshell." Email us at nutshellstories@gmail.com.   

"Get Out...Life Is Good"...by Jim Terry

Ok, so do I even need to ask? Who has been faithful to their commitments and New Year’s resolutions? It always seems to be about a month later when we all tend to fall off of the bandwagon and lose vision of what we wanted to do in order to change our lives for the better.  A lot of the resolutions I have heard from friends and family over the years are to lose weight, read more, spend more time with family, be more patient or even set a goal to go on a nice trip somewhere during that calendar year.  I know I have done all of those over the years but this year I decided to do something a little different from a lesson I learned this past year from a best friend. My commitment/resolution this year to myself, and to those around me, is to always remember and acknowledge each day of my life that, “LIFE IS GOOD.”

The last three months of this past year were really tough for me personally. I lost a beautiful loving stepmother, Kathi, on the 20^th of November and the month prior to that on the 7^th of October; I lost an amazing and wonderful best friend, Stephanie. Both succumbed to the effects of different types of cancer. 

Towards the end of March 2017, I was fortunate enough to fly out to Salt Lake City to see my best friend Stephanie.  She had arrived in the Salt Lake area only two months earlier, leaving her husband, family, and friends in Boise, to begin her journey in trying to fight her disease while being treated at the LDS Hospital. Her wonderful mother, Marcella, and father, Jim, who became her 24/7 support, accompanied her.  

The weekend started out really enjoyable and relaxing because I was able to spend time with her and her family in the condo they were renting.  I must say that the reality of what my friend had been going through really hit me when I glanced over at the kitchen counter as I entered their condo and easily saw at least twenty different types of medications she had to take on a daily basis. And even though she didn’t have a lot of stamina due to taking all of this medication and from a recent bone marrow transplant she had lovingly received from her Aunt Michele six weeks earlier, we caught up and joked around as best friends do…like we never had been apart.

March is also my birthday month and in light of me trying to give support to my friend Stephanie, by just being there for her, she insisted that we have a birthday party for me.  Knowing that her medical costs were a huge financial strain on her and her family and also maintaining two different residences in Boise and in Salt Lake City, I asked her if I could have some food delivered. She insisted that they would take care of everything and I just needed to be there. 

I arrived from my hotel on the evening she had set up for my party. The meal they provided was appetizingly great. The conversation that evening was invigorating, fun and even better than the meal they provided. And finally, what better way to compliment a birthday party than with a really tasty and mouthwatering dessert complimented by singing? This event, as it turned out, was also the last time I was able to physically hug my sweet friend, and have her hug me back, in a warm heart-felt embrace. When I think of this moment now, I really wished it was one of those times in my life where I wished I could freeze time in order to “savor the flavor” for just a bit longer.  

So after two to three hours of fun, it was time for me to leave for the evening so that my friend Stephanie could get some rest. Before I left, however, I was surprised to see my sweet fragile friend get up, walk around to the back of the chair she was sitting in, bend down and pick something up.  Unbeknownst to me, she had carefully hidden a gift she had purchased for me behind the chair she was sitting in.  I knew it would be something that I would like. She knew me so well and what I liked and loved. As she handed me the gift, I have to admit that I was indeed taken back and surprised by her sweet gesture.  So with a puzzled look on my face and my heart in my throat, I hesitated yet appreciatively accepted the gift she provided to me that day. 

Just so you all know, my friend Steph was always one of those people who always put the needs of others before her own. Here I observed her fighting for her life, yet in spite of this, not only did she insist it was essential to make me feel important on my day, but she also still thought it was necessary to give her friend, “Trashman,” a gift for his birthday. She knew of my love for nature.  There were several times during her medical treatments, that I would send her videos of my hikes to share my experiences with her to help give her a sense of hope and optimism and to take her mind off of things, if only for just a moment. 

As I slowly opened up the carefully wrapped gift, my friend Steph said, "now if you wear this while you are hiking, I can feel as though I am there with you." I couldn’t help but to break down and cry once I saw what she had given me.  It was something simple but had so much meaning to me even until this very day.  It was a matching hat and T-shirt both inscribed with the logo, “ GET OUT...LIFE IS GOOD.” I had to quietly ask myself in that moment, "How could someone going through what she was going through still be so optimistic and still think "life is good?" 

February is the birthday month for my friend Stephanie, on the 17^th to be exact, and since this is the first time that I will not be able to call her and wish her a happy birthday, I wanted to make sure I let the world know what a positive example and influence she has been in my life by sharing the wonderful lesson she taught me that day. It's not too late for someone to do another resolution, is it? After all, New Year's day is just another day.  So my New Year's resolution, on this, the 5^th day of February, and the lesson I learned from my dear sweet friend...”No matter what your circumstances are "GET OUT," have fun, look for the positives and remember that, YES, "LIFE IS GOOD!" 

***One more quick idea for a New Year's Resolution. It is never too late to do. SIGN UP and help someone save a life. 
https://bethematch.org/

In loving memory of my cherished best friend Stephanie Welty (1972-2017)

 ♦ Hope you'll let us share your stories and photos here at our residence "In a Nutshell." Email us at nutshellstories@gmail.com.