(Widows or Widowers)
Greetings fellow Rakkasans.
I hope you all enjoyed the Holidays. We had a lot of company and entertained them as we do every year.
My daughter, Dawn, and 2 of my great grandchildren (Sam and Summer) and myself danced again this year in the Nutcracker production. I swear that is what keeps me going. I love the preparation and pageantry of the show. Dancing is in my blood and seems to be in my family also.
I lost some of my Rakkasan friends this year, but that is to be expected since we are not getting any younger. I, myself, have been sick off and on since August and have been hospitalized 3 times since then. This last bout found I had Pneumonia and the flu at the same time. I am not over it yet. I had the flu shot, but it was not strong enough. The people in my church are “prayer warriors” and I found them to be praying for me. The members are mostly elderly, but their prayers are strong.
When I lived in New Hampshire, as a young girl, in the summer I lived with my parents on a large farm that my father owned. I had many chores to do, like milking the cows, feeding pigs and chickens and working in the fields haying, picking blueberries to sell and to help with the garden when I was able. We had a hired hand also who lived in our home’s basement.
I was handicapped so I was not able to do large jobs as I had braces on my legs as a result of infantile paralysis that I got at age 2. My grandparents took care of me in the Winter months and they put me in ballet floor exercises to strengthen my legs. As a result, my legs became stronger. Then one day (when I was 9 years old) the doctor removed the braces. When summer came, I took off one day in the fields and ran and ran until I was exhausted. I laid down on the ground and watched the sky with the clouds forming different shapes. I will never forget that day, as it was a day that I realized that there was a higher power. I finally understood what they were trying to teach me in Sunday School. God was the one to give me back the use of my legs and I gave myself to Him. He became my strength. He got me through 8 operations of Cancer. As you can read, I am still here.
I became a strong woman though all of the many things I have endured. My husband, Cliff, was my inspiration. He said to be happy and while he lived, he projected that and told me that I would be a strong woman and one who was loved deeply. I can remember in New England, when we had a sunny weekend in the Winter, Cliff would take the well-bundled 4 children of ours and go to York Beach, Maine and they would run and play in the sand. This was one of our favorite places to camp in the Summer. The campground was on a cliff overlooking the ocean. We loved it there. I really have never been unhappy because Cliff taught the children and I to enjoy life and to be thankful for what we had. Another place we visited in the Summer months, was the “Cathedral of the Pines” in Rindge. N.H. That is one place where you feel nearer to God than any other place in the world.
In closing, may you all have a wonderful year and enjoy the Spring by taking the time to see flowers grow and enjoy your family while you can. I am watching my great grandchildren grow and want to stay a part of their lives while I can. Keep our service men and women in your prayers and pray that our government does what is right for the people of our states.
Respectfully submitted
Marilyn “Lynn” Pineau
The Merry Widow
Florida and Samurai Chapters