Category: In Her Own Words

Ruth and I seldom spoke about what was next.   What lies ahead after we’re gone.   We both thought her dad, Lou, visited more than once. She woke up a few times when she thought he was standing at the end of our bed. If she knew why, she didn’t share. I believe the reason she …

The drive down Douglas was very emotional. Tears welled in my eyes as I knew Ruth was piloting the car. I just had my hands on the wheel. I didn’t know why she brought me to Plainwell, but I knew she did. I drove past Fred’s, long since gone. Ruth and her family ate dinner …

Ruth had a couple of five-year journals. Five-year journals ask you to respond to the same question, on the same date, for five years.  She never recorded anything more than three years.  I stumbled upon one this week that she kept while we were in Florida in 2014, 2015 and 2016.  Those were the years …

When Brady and Eva were young, Ruth and I had the opportunity to see them every week. They lived about twenty minutes from us, and we went to see them frequently. Sometimes we picked Brady up from pre-school or kindergarten. I’ll admit, Ruth did it more often than me. We also babysat for them when …

The journal that Ruth kept the longest, began in February of 1979 and ended in May of 2000. She didn’t date every entry, but she did the first and last. As I’ve read it, I’ve nicknamed it her venting journal. In her final entry she wrote… “I should destroy this book or maybe in my …

I’ve found several journals Ruth kept. None of them are elaborate. Some are simple spiral bound notebooks, while others were specifically designed for journalling. There’s a few in Florida and I’ve found several in Michigan. Not one was completely filled. She jumped from book to book and didn’t write anything for months, perhaps years, at …

When I met Ruth, she was as liberal as any of the women I knew.  Although I don’t think she ever burned her bra like others from our youth, she supported those who did. When we started teaching, women had to wear skirts or dresses.  There were no pants allowed.  During our third or fourth …

I’ve run across a few journals that Ruth kept. Many offered up a daily question and she responded.  They provide a glimpse of what she was thinking at the time.  None of the journals are complete.  They’re a collection of random thoughts and I’ve decided to share a few. January 1, 2015 “What is your …

I ran across this passage Ruth had written years ago.  I recall Sara being one of Ruth’s high school friends.  We never met, or if we did, I’ve forgotten, because I haven’t heard her name in several decades. One of my favorite memories of being with Sara was sparked by the mention of a VW. …

Learning simple things about people is not very exciting for most of us.  We prefer mysterious tales and dark secrets.  Simple things are too innocent, unless of course they come from someone who’s passed.  They take on new meaning, especially if you’ve never heard the message before. Ruth wrote several entries in a “Reflections from …