[Peace-discuss] Re: [Peace] reminder: celebration of Grandpa Sunday 2-4PM (plus my letter to him)

[lweber0311 at comcast.net]

Randall, we'll bring a gallon of iced tea and some munchies.......................

--
live simply 
love generously 
care deeply 
speak kindly 
leave the rest to God

-------------- Original message -------------- 
From: "Randall Cotton" <recotton at earthlink.net> 

> Just a quick reminder and an additional request for help for this Sunday's 
> remembrance and celebration of Grandpa Wahlfeldt. 
> 
> It's at the IMC (202 S. Broadway, Urbana) from 2-4PM and we still need 
> help from volunteers with: 
> 
> 1. Snacks (munchies like chips, cheese, crackers, fruit, 
> veggies and desserts) 
> 2. Drinks (like coffee, lemonade, iced tea, punch). 
> 3. Help with setup one full hour before (starting 1PM) 
> 4. Help with teardown a half hour after (until 4:30PM) 
> 
> We've had some folks come forward as volunteers, but we really do need 
> more (especially in the snacks and drinks departments). Please drop me a 
> line with what you'd like to offer. 
> 
> And remember: 
> 
> There will be a ceremony to permanently dedicate the downstairs 
> meeting room in his name as "The Grandpa Wahlfeldt Family Room". There 
> will be a display case permanently mounted in Bob's new room with items 
> and photos from his life. 
> 
> We are also putting out a call for folks to contribute photos, articles, 
> mementos and memorabilia of Grandpa that they would like to have on 
> display in his new room. A group of us are committed to installing 
> whatever is necessary in terms of display cases to make this happen. 
> 
> And in particular, if you want to write a letter to or about Grandpa to 
> show what he meant to you, we'll make sure it gets securely displayed in 
> Bob's new room. 
> 
> I've written this letter to Grandpa for the display case and I really 
> encourage those of you who knew him to do something like this to help 
> people understand why he was so special: 
> 
> ********* 
> 
> Dear Grandpa, 
> 
> 
> 
> I'm writing this letter to you, though you've left us earlier this year, 
> to try to help show people how special you were. I've found in my life 
> that I've met virtually no one that I looked up to as a complete role 
> model, especially in recent years after becoming an activist. But even 
> though I only met you five years ago and I only got to know you very 
> gradually, you wound up becoming someone I admire very deeply and someone 
> I aspire to emulate - indeed, a role model. And though I actually strive 
> to follow your example in many respects, I often wonder whether I could 
> ever match that example - whether it's even possible for me no matter how 
> hard I try (though I still will try). 
> 
> 
> 
> I've never met (and I doubt I will ever meet) someone who has so 
> completely overcome the human self-centered tendency we are all born with 
> and utterly replaced it with a pure passion for the common good of all. I 
> aspire to this, but I have work to do if I'm going to match you. 
> 
> 
> 
> I've never met anyone who, being so free of self-centered concerns, was 
> able to see so deeply into the experience of others, even those who are 
> very, very different from you with radically different life experiences 
> than you, empathizing so profoundly with them that I could only describe 
> it as seeing into their souls. I have tried, I think with some success, at 
> empathizing with others in this way, but again, I have a long, long way to 
> go to match you. 
> 
> 
> 
> And I've also never met anyone who had such a steady love and giving 
> spirit for all individuals, not only for personal friends and 
> acquaintances, not only for the oppressed and downtrodden, not only for 
> total strangers, but even for what one might call "the enemy". Love for 
> one's enemy. Though you may vehemently disagree with your enemy, I could 
> see you still respected them as an individual, could empathize with them, 
> and even love them. I've tried to grow into this and I'm getting better, 
> but I still look to you as an ideal I've yet to reach. 
> 
> 
> 
> I wish I had gotten to know you sooner. I admit to being jealous of others 
> who knew you so much longer than I did. Though I really only began to 
> understand and appreciate you in recent years, I will still always miss 
> you. 
> 
> 
> 
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