A great short story For Esme - with Love and Squalor by J.D. Salinger is a tale of a little girl and a soldier, their times together You really should read it. It was published in the New Yorker, April 8, 1950. To read the short story go to http://www.freeweb.hu/tchl/salinger/squalor.html William Allen White was a famous Pulitzer Prize winning journalist from the Midwest. If you dont know much about him go to: http://www.journalism.ku.edu/school/waw/bio/waw/WAWhitebio.html Editor White lost his lovely teenage daughter, Mary, in a horse riding accident. His famous editorial on her tragic death is studied in universities to this day. Read his stirring editorial eulogy on her death at http://www.kshs.org/cool2/marywhit.htm We all must face the death of a loved one sooner or later. It is always a dynamic thing that tears at our souls for years on end. But the dead keep giving. I lost my teenage sister when I was a boy and I still grieve her death as well as the deaths of ten of my friends, some killed in accidents; victims of the World War II effort. We lost almost 1000 men from our regiment in Korea and many ROK soldiers that served in our unit. I grieve at that loss too. Now, Tiger Wood has lost his father, Earl. Earl Wood was Tiger's friend, coach, cheering section. All of the earnings that Tiger has gathered over his golf career could not save his father. The frustration of a dying parent is all consuming especially if there are regrets; regrets such as not being able to save the dying. God only could have saved Earl Wood, but he bid him home again instead. Earls earth passage was over. Two of my sons and my son-in-law are doctors. Because of the nature of their specialties, they continually deal with the dying and their families. My son who is a veterinarian deals with the deaths of farm critters everyday, but much more traumatic is the death of a pet to its grieving owners. We all know what Tiger is going through; we can only say this to you, Tiger: Your father is watching each stroke that you take with a golf club. He is still your teacher. He is still your coach. He expects you to put your heart and soul into your golf game as much as he wants you to care for your mother, your wife, and those you love who love you. Feel his love for you as you walk the links. Feel the strength of his loving arms around you. Hear his voice in the wind. Look up into the blue sky and see his new home. His heart is within you. He will never leave you alone. I read in the newspaper and heard on television how touched the Wood family has been by the thousands of letters and e-mails offering condolences. You can read some of them at Tigers Official Site: http://tinyurl.com/rx95o May we add ours? copyright2006 John T. Jones, Ph.D. |
