Journal entry by Ron Howard —
I wanted to share one more journal entry about Sharon's final journey on this earth. As I reflect on my dear wife's life I am struck over and over again how she prioritized time for people.
Though she is gone she is still teaching me about the importance of investing time in people's lives. I must admit I am not perfect at this yet. I guess I am a slow learner. After 29 years of being married to Sharon you’d think I’d have it perfected.
In 2005 Sharon started to give the "Intangible Gift" at Christmas with her family. Intangible being defined as: "Unable to be touched or grasped; not having physical presence."
In 2011 the Intangible Gift was time. I am now wondering if indeed it is tangible. Or maybe just the affects of it are tangible. From the smile of a child who you spend time with, to the ability of a non-profit to continue their work because of a gift of our time or money to help them out and everything in between. Yes. Perhaps it is tangible.
It seems like that is the greatest gift we can give people. Time to listen. Time to care. Time just to share being together. As Sharon's friend Dana said at her funeral, "When you were with Sharon you never felt like you were playing second fiddle to anything else in her life. There were no errands she needed to run. No phone calls she needed to make, or anywhere else she needed to be. She gave you every bit of her attention and made you feel like you were the most important person in the world."
Her four nephews from her brother's family demonstrated this. I paid them some money for their part in Sharon's funeral and told them to get something that would remind them of their aunt. They went out and purchased nice watches to demonstrate the time Sharon invested in their lives. And on the back of each watch they had engraved, "Love you more." That is what Sharon would say to them when they would say goodby.
Time is not an easy thing to give for there is precious little of it, and a lot of things in our lives demand it. When you loose someone close there seems to be even less time. Like the country song says, “Just five more minutes.” So giving people our undivided attention is challenging. Yet I would say it is very worth it.
Each of us are on a journey. Sharon's earthly journey has ended. Yet I keep finding the ripple effects of her life continuing to go out and affect people's lives. What a great testimony to how she lived. May we all be so lucky as to have our lives out live us.
Attached is a photo of Sharon taking time to hold our dog Emme while decorating our Christmas tree last year. On the floor beside her is the ornament she was in the middle of putting on the tree when Emme decided to help her. She got that ornament after her Mother passed away in 2003.
It says,
"I love you all dearly.
Now don't shed a tear.
I'm spending Christmas
With Jesus this year."
So I hung the picture next to the ornament on the tree. It just seemed like the right thing to do.
I have uploaded the video from Sharon's funeral to YouTube here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2QgESsboglE&t=5592s
If you are interested in knowing a little more about the song played at the end of the funeral when they took Sharon on her last trip out of the church, you will find it on YouTube here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ojdzjsF37FI
People ask me how I am doing. Really, I am getting along okay. I tell people that since we were not married till we were 30, my old bachelor survival skills are kicking in and so far I have not gone hungry and my clothes are clean. And most of the time my clothes match! :)
My grief comes in moments and, so far, is not a long and hard grief. Thus it is not debilitating. For this I am thankful. I guess there are many reasons for that. One is that we had 7 1/2 to 8 months to start our grieving. I'm sure my personality traits also play in there somehow.
One thing I am sure of is that all the prayers that have been said for me have also played a major part of my walk. One day in staff meeting at the church where I work I shared that I don't think I have ever been more prayed for in my entire life. Thanks to each of you who have cared and prayed. It means an awful lot and I am appreciative.
Though she is gone she is still teaching me about the importance of investing time in people's lives. I must admit I am not perfect at this yet. I guess I am a slow learner. After 29 years of being married to Sharon you’d think I’d have it perfected.
In 2005 Sharon started to give the "Intangible Gift" at Christmas with her family. Intangible being defined as: "Unable to be touched or grasped; not having physical presence."
In 2011 the Intangible Gift was time. I am now wondering if indeed it is tangible. Or maybe just the affects of it are tangible. From the smile of a child who you spend time with, to the ability of a non-profit to continue their work because of a gift of our time or money to help them out and everything in between. Yes. Perhaps it is tangible.
It seems like that is the greatest gift we can give people. Time to listen. Time to care. Time just to share being together. As Sharon's friend Dana said at her funeral, "When you were with Sharon you never felt like you were playing second fiddle to anything else in her life. There were no errands she needed to run. No phone calls she needed to make, or anywhere else she needed to be. She gave you every bit of her attention and made you feel like you were the most important person in the world."
Her four nephews from her brother's family demonstrated this. I paid them some money for their part in Sharon's funeral and told them to get something that would remind them of their aunt. They went out and purchased nice watches to demonstrate the time Sharon invested in their lives. And on the back of each watch they had engraved, "Love you more." That is what Sharon would say to them when they would say goodby.
Time is not an easy thing to give for there is precious little of it, and a lot of things in our lives demand it. When you loose someone close there seems to be even less time. Like the country song says, “Just five more minutes.” So giving people our undivided attention is challenging. Yet I would say it is very worth it.
Each of us are on a journey. Sharon's earthly journey has ended. Yet I keep finding the ripple effects of her life continuing to go out and affect people's lives. What a great testimony to how she lived. May we all be so lucky as to have our lives out live us.
Attached is a photo of Sharon taking time to hold our dog Emme while decorating our Christmas tree last year. On the floor beside her is the ornament she was in the middle of putting on the tree when Emme decided to help her. She got that ornament after her Mother passed away in 2003.
It says,
"I love you all dearly.
Now don't shed a tear.
I'm spending Christmas
With Jesus this year."
So I hung the picture next to the ornament on the tree. It just seemed like the right thing to do.
I have uploaded the video from Sharon's funeral to YouTube here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2QgESsboglE&t=5592s
If you are interested in knowing a little more about the song played at the end of the funeral when they took Sharon on her last trip out of the church, you will find it on YouTube here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ojdzjsF37FI
People ask me how I am doing. Really, I am getting along okay. I tell people that since we were not married till we were 30, my old bachelor survival skills are kicking in and so far I have not gone hungry and my clothes are clean. And most of the time my clothes match! :)
My grief comes in moments and, so far, is not a long and hard grief. Thus it is not debilitating. For this I am thankful. I guess there are many reasons for that. One is that we had 7 1/2 to 8 months to start our grieving. I'm sure my personality traits also play in there somehow.
One thing I am sure of is that all the prayers that have been said for me have also played a major part of my walk. One day in staff meeting at the church where I work I shared that I don't think I have ever been more prayed for in my entire life. Thanks to each of you who have cared and prayed. It means an awful lot and I am appreciative.
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