Starfish

Hi Everybody,
Jim here. For some reason, I just felt like sharing a few things today. It was about this time last year that we visited a specialist in Columbus, and we switched to the last of the medications, which would only work for a few more months. Even though we would make another trip to Wilmington after that, it seems to mark the beginning of the end for me, and all the memories that come with it.

And even though Linda has been gone for nine months now, I still see her and remember her in so many things that happen each and every day.

I have a friend who says that whenever she finds a dime on the ground, she believes one of her departed loved ones left it and it's a sign that they are near. Last week was the first Trestle drive block party without Linda. While I was out in the driveway, one of the neighbors happened to say that he felt like Linda was still with us. Just then I happened to look down, and there on the concrete was a dime. I know it's silly, but it made me cry anyway.

And the Starfish story keeps coming up over and over again as well. Sue Niehaus told me that the "In-service presenter" who spoke to the Badin faculty on the first day of school (and who knew nothing about Linda) used the Starfish story in his speech, and got a teary-eyed reaction from many of the teachers that surely must have confused him :)

Thanks to so many people who donated to Linda's Scholarship fund, Badin was able to provide assistance to 21 students who otherwise might not have been able to afford the tuition. I've received some of the most heartwarming letters from these students, as well as from their parents, expressing their appreciation that so much good could come from her passing. Some of the students promise to "Pay it forward", and help other students with their tuition after they graduate. The last one that came was from a parent, and said:

I would like to sincerely thank you for the contribution from your wife's Scholarship Fund to our son.
"Our daughter is a senior this year and I remember when she came home from school and shared with me your wife's Starfish story that you spoke to the students about. Our daughter was deeply touched by your speech...
..I feel very blessed to consider our son one of your wife's "starfish".


Then two nights ago, out of the blue I received an email from one of Linda's past students that said:

One morning, sometime after 2 I think, during my freshman year at Notre Dame I discovered Linda's blog. That night I got caught up on all of the previous posts and then went to the grotto to light a candle and say a prayer that God would take care of your family.

Here I am a senior, again it is the wee hours of the morning, and for whatever reason my thoughts turned to Linda.
Maybe it is because I am trying to write an essay about altruism. I am supposed to define altruism and then give some examples in 600 words. To a knowing audience, only two words are needed: Linda Wimmers.
Maybe it is just God's way of telling me to step up and be a better person, and that Linda should be my example.
I am going to walk over to the grotto now and light another candle for your family. Luckily, it is a football weekend and there are thousands of alumni who will visit the grotto tomorrow, light a candle, and say a prayer for all of the candles. That is a lot of prayers.
Just a final thought: I know that there are a lot of starfish Linda never got to, but I want to make sure you know that there are many that she did.

And so I feel better knowing that Linda lives on not just in my memory, but through all the good that she did in her life and all the people who were influenced and inspired by her to be a force for good in their own lives. That's certainly been the case for me... I'm just one of the many starfish she made a difference for, and maybe the luckiest.

Love you all,
Jim (& Linda)