Dear Abbie,
I know you have a new neighbor this year. Dad moved in on July 3rd this past year. He told us that he would be moving soon so that he could see how you were doing. I told him you would probably be living in the Georgia Southern area right near Sweetheart Circle. You always loved riding around the “Boro,” checking things out. Just before he left, he told Momma, Eddie, Patty, Pam and myself that he loved us and looked forward to seeing us soon. I told him “Not too soon.” LOL
Annie is doing well. She is in Atlanta living the life with three of her buddies. She will start PA school at Mercer University. I go up to see her a lot. She’s still a neat freak with her bedroom and all of her clothes. You and I were lucky if we wore something that matched and was clean. 😉
This past year, the ALD Foundation continued to offer opportunities to student athletes. We continue to look for the best of the best — the ones who have the capability to push themselves, the ones who take “impossible” and make it possible, the ones who have personal values and hold true to them no matter what the cost or blow-back from their classmates, the ones who set the example.
We will be recognizing 24 young adults this year — our biggest class since we started in 2017. Here are few of the teams we included this year:
• University of Georgia:male and female students.(Boy, I bet the people in Athens are really scratching their heads wondering, “Is this the same guy that was at all the toga parties in the ’70s.)
• Nurses for the Nations:Six students were chosen from all the medical schools in Georgia. They will be teaming up with Compassion Christian Church on a trip to Ecuador, South America. The cool thing is that they will be part of a medical team performing their future jobs.
• Three Savannah-Chatham County Public Schools:An elementary, middle and high School have been hands-on with community activites that promote the welfare of all people.(I really like this one because they are going to have a pizza and ice cream party.)
Compassion Christian Church’s India Project:We have completed the building that has taken women out of the trafficking industry and is being used to teach them a skill to earn a real paycheck. Greg Matney, co-director for Vikas Mission, has been super to work with. The products are being sold through Skipping Stone.
• Cure Childhood Cancer Holiday Angel Program:You gave a family who was pushed to the edge a wonderful Christmas full of love and so many wonderful things.
• Georgia Nurses Association:We have a committed partnership with the largest professional association for registered nurses in Georgia. Since its founding in 1907, its mission and vision has remained constant — nurses shaping the future of professional nursing for a healthier Georgia.
I need to go now. Know that I do not cry myself to sleep as much as I used to. I have received my certification as a Grief Recovery Specialist and have been helping other people to get through to a “new normal.”
Love, Dad
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