Last month I began reading Obama's book, Dreams from My Father. I had promised a report by this month. After a while, it dawned on me that Obama is either a genius or disingenuous, as liberals of fond of saying. You see, Obama's book is filled with complete quotations of all the conversations he remembers from the time he was a tiny child right on through his wedding. I have a very good memory of most of my childhood, but I can't honestly say I recall all the exact words from every onversation I remember. I will give Obama credit for a superb writing style. I believe his book is either fictionalized or he 'remembers' events the way he wants to. If your goal is to find the real Obama,I doubt this book will help very much!
Now with that out of the way...I would like to share something I find so much more important! Our Aunt Edith Fearrien passed on to Heaven on June 22. It is a comfort to know that she is Heaven, but it is just so hard not having her here with us. Many of you knew her so this won't be news to you! At age 92 (would have been 93 on August 19th) Aunt Edith had lived a very long, busy, engaged, and happy life. But she probably would have lived at least another ten or twelve years if it hadn't been for the accident. Aunt Edith was the baby of the family and her last sister died last year at age 106! Edith passed out walking up church steps in Paradise to attend a wedding on a very hot day. She crashed her head on the steps and never regained consciousness. It was a shock to all her family and friends. All last week I kept thinking of things I wanted to tell her and then would remember that wouldn't be possible. At the celebration of life held in Ferndale and at her funeral services the next morning, family and friends shared their special memories. These brought a lot of smiles, laughter, and yes, tears. Aunt Edith was a very accomplished lady. She worked along side her husbands, Henry from 1938 until his death in 1970 and Fred from 1971 to his death in 2001. She traveled the world extensively and hiked up to the top of Machu Picchu in the Andes Mountains just three years ago! She could keep up with people half her age and pass up many multiple decades younger! She was very direct and honest and sometimes very funny! I knew she was as her daughter, JoAnn, shared at the celebration of life, "a-dyed- inthe-woolREPUBLICAN"! That was when I came up with a fitting tribute. At the burial, I attached my Republican elephant pin to the pastel flowered spray from our family. JoAnn watched me do this and commented that "Mom would appreciate that!" Aunt Edith is an inspiration for all of us. If God chooses for me to live that long, I truly hope I can be just like her! I want to dance until the party is completely over...just like Aunt Edith! BY SHERYL FEARRIEN
