Dear Lori: You have my deapest sympathy regarding the lose of your Mother. I was devastated when I opened your e-mail. I just sat staring at the computer and then began to pray for all of you as I know Judy is finally at peace with our Lord and those of us left behind are the ones that grieve. I first "met" your mother in a MS chatroom as I had been recently diagnosed with MS and was feeling suicidal. She helped me so much as I listened to her tell me about her life and how she stayed alive through the love for her family. She was truly an inspiration! I was raised in Madison most of my life and moved to Stevens Point a few years ago and when we found out how close we were to each other we were going to meet but unfortunately that will not happen now. I'm sorry I didn't get the opportunity to meet such a wonderful woman. You and your family are in my prayers.
Sincerely,

Linda Scheer

I'll forever miss your Mom, such a kind woman. She helped me when I needed help most with my teenage son and school. Her advice was right on the money too. :)

I'll do my best to pass her kindness on to other people if/when I can.

~~Jan

I'm Judy's next door neighbor Leah (apt 1) if there is anything I can do to help, Please Do Not Hesitate, let me know.
I'm so sorry to hear of your loss she is indeed a great lady, I will miss our informal chats in her backyard.
Leah Ann Walker

Lori, I was so proud to have known Judy, we talked a lot on messenger. Even though she was so ill, she always had time for others. She will always be in my thoughts and prayers. Is there any charity or something we can do in her memory?
I am proud to have been chosen by your mom to be her friend.
Margaret Vieira
Ragdoll

Thank you for notifying me. I knew her as a neat lady, passionate about
life and her family.

Terri Sorg
Cornerstone

Lori,

Thank you so much for the email. I am also one of the staff of the MS world website that she visited frequently. We all miss her so very much, she was a wonderful and caring person, with a vibrance that kept us all going each day we had the blessing to speak with her. I will certainly keep my prayers going for you and your family and of course for her! She was well loved and as you said it is a great loss, but she is with the best she can be now, God.

Take care,

The last hour I was with Mom, before she went to sleep, she told me I was going to go to work for a doctor who was doing important research. I wonder now what she saw? She also wanted to be hugged one last time, and told me she thought I was a good person. Not a whole lot more was said, we were just there together while she made her final decision and then followed the yellow brick road she'd laid right into Oz. She clicked the Ruby slippers three times...

Dan

The Bluest Angel

Tiny Angel, wings so white,
Watch over me as I pray goodnight,
Let Mommy be safe and happy please,
You in your robes so blue, me on my knees.

I watch you fly in God's grace.

Tiny angel, flit down upon my cupped palms,
Smile up at me, singing, with no qualms.
A voice so ethereal and uplifting,
Carry my heart through a life that's shifting.

Thank you for carrying my prayers to heaven so well.

Bluer than the skies,
Angel with the bluest eyes,
Singing and free,
Thank you for loving me.

Fly always in beautiful childhood dreams.

AquarianM

By: Daniel A. Stafford
© 08/14/2000

Author's Comments:
A dream, from very early childhood in Madison, WI.
This took place when I was four, in the time of the Dinosaur Safari.
I think it may have been inspired by watching a show on
TV about the Navy flying team, the Blue Angels.
You see, to me as a child, airplanes were the grandest
vision in the whole world. We lived off an Air Force base.
I lived in a world of fast jets, heard sonic booms before they
stopped supersonic flight over the continental USA.
I woke up crying because the dream was gone.
###############################################
Published in the International Library of Poetry's anthology,
"The Hush Of Moonlight", page 65, Library of Congress Number:
ISBN 1-58235-558-4

The Mother Hubbard Date

The man is dressed sharp, too slick.
The kids all suspect, it might be a trick.
Something just doesn't feel right,
And we don't want Mom going out tonight.

The guy's not all that, Mom.

Old farm house on the hill stands,
Remodeled with the labor of family hands,
Huge yard, apple tree blossoms and grape vines,
Stronger and better than slick lines.

Sis's got a plan, to ditch this man.

Shhhhhhh......she's getting dressed!
Ha Ha, boy, he'll be duly impressed!
Call them all, each and every one,
All of our friends, in on the fun!

Wonder if he'll ever date again?

Scott in the second story window,
I'll be on the roof, up the tree in front you three go!
Four on the garage roof, three in the tree on the side,
Another five or six on the porch roof ride.

Sis is climbing the TV antenna.

Each and every window of the old farm house,
The whole roof, every tree, quiet as a mouse.
Oh, my goodness! I can't wait to see,
If he's got the gumption, what kind of dad would he be?

Shhhhh......she's getting in the car......

Quick now, all together.....BYE MOM!!!!
BYE MOM!!! WE'LL MISS YOU!!!

We gave him the 50 kid salute at the setting of the sun,
And I do swear, I'd never seen a snake run!
All of you might not think that's fair,
But he's clearly not built to be there.

Welcome home, Mom, we ALL love you!!!

AquarianM

By: Daniel A. Stafford
© 08/22/2000

Author's Comments:
We never did see that guy again. Madison & Mom were both
better off for it. And it's one memory we ALL laugh over now.

When Mom was in the hospital a couple of weeks ago, I brought her the gift I'd bought her for Mother's Day this year. It was a matched set of six rubber stamps like the ones she used to make her cards - they were international Christmas postage stamps like would have been issued back in the early 20th century, say the 30's-50's or so. I told her God moved Mother's Day up for her this year.

Mother's Day 2000 I gave this to mom framed on rose print paper:

Sunshine Mommy Mine

Dear sweet Mom, this is your day.
Dear sweet Mom, in a spectacular way.
Dear sweet Mom, you brought me.
Dear sweet Mom, without you, what would I be?
Dear sweet Mom, you bring me joy.
Dear sweet Mom, you bought my first toy.
Dear sweet Mom, you put up with this boy.
Dear sweet Mom, you knew what to say.
Dear sweet Mom, you're invited to stay.
Dear sweet Mom, you know what to do.
Dear sweet Mom, you taught me what's true.
Dear sweet Mom, please accept flowers.
Dear sweet Mom, you'd be rich if I had magic powers.
Dear sweet Mom, Happy Mother's day!!!!

AquarianM

By: Daniel A. Stafford
© 05/08/2000

Author's Comments:
This one's for you, Mom!

Mom wanted me to write about this:

The Granny Effect:

You know,
It's wise to be a child,
At Grandma's house,
Poor parent don't you yet understand,
You're stuck between your Mama & the baby,
And she's got no compunction,
About who it is she gets to spoil,
For while you as a child held the taint,
Doused in tincture of Devil and responsibility,
YOUR child goes home with you,
And forget any words about little Johnny did this,
What Mother Dear do I do,
Oh no,
Granny has already whipped up a pizza,
Kissed Little Angel's booboo,
And woe to the parent in her presence,
That gets an angry head of steam,
Don't you dare follow past examples,
With Granny's Little Dream,
Don't you get it,
Dear sweet Mum & Dad?
At Granny's house,
There's never a grandchild who could possibly,
Be Bad?
Are you crazy?
My Little Angel couldn't possibly have...
Here, Sweetie, have a sugar cookie,
Stay up with Grandma and watch the movie,
Oh, and, when it's time to leave?
How CAN a child produce such HUGE,
Alligator tears?
Want to bring back that smile?
Have yourself a peaceful night?
Why, SURE you can stay with Grandma,
Sweet dreams Honey,
Don't let the bed bugs bite!

AquarianM

By: Daniel A. Stafford
(C) 04/24/2002

Author's Comments:
Some things in life are entirely universal.
I remember BEING the Little Angel...
Now I have one! *L* But he really is a great kid.

I'M FREE

Don't grieve for me,for now I'm free

I'm following the path God laid for me.

I took His hand when I heard Him call

I turned my back and left it all.

I could not stay another day

To laugh to love, to work, or play.

Tasks left undone must stay that way.

I found that peace at close of day.

If my parting has left a void,

Then fill it with remembered joy.

A friendship shared, a laugh, a kiss.

Ah yes, these things I will miss.

Be not burdened with times of sorrow;

I wish you sunshine of tomorrow.

My life's been full, I've savoured much;

Good friends,good times, a loved one's touch.

Perhaps my time seemed all too brief,

Don't lengthen it now with undue grief.

Life up your hearts and share with me-

God wanted me now-

He set me free....

Love her friend Janet.


Thanks Janet! This is beautiful. It has helped me through much of my anger today. She would of said much of the same things.
I Love You Mama!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Outta School!

Recess is on!
The birds just flew up,
Hats all in the air,
Starship launched,
Sails white have billowed full,
The deep dark night,
Where the stars all call,
Anywhere,
Everywhere,
Anywhere at all,
That's free.

AquarianM

By: Daniel A. Stafford
(C) 02/11/2003

Author's Comments:
Mom's body let her go fifteen minutes ago.
School's out for her.

Lori's there with her now...

Dedicated to my Mother:

Florentine Dream:

Back of my head on the pillow,
Ceiling so soft eggshell white,
Behind my eyelids flowers,
Blooming flames in the deep dark night,
I love the marble columns of belief,
They reach to touch the setting sun,
The bird lifts into Heaven,
And the free flight is God's gentle harsh love,
Soaring over the gardens and seaside,
Look down and wonder dearly at the sands,
Trillions of grains of colored glass,
Who'd expect cradled feet to find this soft,
All just a dream as wind becomes your dance.

See the fireflowers grow,
See the stars cry crystal drops,
See the moon upon your waters,
See your gentleness wash rhythm upon the shore,
See your footprints lead home,

Fly free across the waves.

AquarianM

By: Daniel A. Stafford
(C) 01/25/2003

Author's Comments:
A wish meditation for someone dear.
This was written for Mom, and took both
poet of the week last week, and poet of the
month today at www.poetryclub.com.

"We can draw lessons from the past, but we cannot live in it."
--Lyndon B. Johnson

"To know the road ahead, ask those coming back."
--Chinese Proverb

"When you were born, you cried and everybody else was happy. The only question that matters is this: When you die, will YOU be happy when everybody else is crying?"
--Tony Campolo


"When we are motivated by goals that have deep meaning, by dreams that need completion, by pure love that needs expressing, then we truly live life."
--Greg Anderson

Some of us treat opportunity like sand. We fill our hands with it, and then let it slip through our fingertips until it is gone.

Sometimes, when we do not get what we want, we realize that what we got is what we would have wanted had we known what we would have gotten in the first place.

If you stop to think, don't forget to get started again.

Do what you can today, you may not have the same opportunity tomorrow.

"Life can only be understood backwards, but it must be lived forwards."
--Johann Wolfgang von Goethe


"A life spent making mistakes is not only more honorable, but more useful than a life spent doing nothing."
--George Bernard Shaw

"You can achieve anything you want in life if you have the courage to dream it, the intelligence to make a realistic plan, and the will to see that plan through to the end."
--Sidney A. Friedman


Live each day as if it were your last, because someday you will be right.


"Do what you can, with what you have, where you are."
--Theodore Roosevelt

"When one door of happiness closes, another opens; but often we look so long at the closed door that we do not see the one which has opened for us."
--Helen Keller

"I think that we all have something in common in that we have dreams. The thing about dreams is sometimes you get to live them out."
--Payne Stewart

"The greater the obstacles, the more glory in overcoming it."
--Moliere

"If you can go through life without experiencing pain, you probably haven't been born yet."
--Neil Simon

You cannot make your dreams come true until you wake up.

It is far more important that you know where you are going than to get their with record speed.

Being satisfied with things the way they are is a sure way to stop progress.

"A great pleasure in life is doing what people say you cannot do."
--Walter Bagehot

Just a few things I ran across while surfing. All mean so much. I have learned more in this week than my 39 yrs in this life.

Too often we don't realize
what we have until it is gone;
Too often we wait too late to say
"I'm sorry - I was wrong."

Sometimes it seems we hurt the ones
we hold dearest to our hearts;
And we allow foolish things
to tear our lives apart.

Far too many times we let
unimportant things into our minds;
And then it's usually too late
to see what made us blind.

So be sure that you let people know
how much they mean to you;
Take that time to say the words
before your time is through.

Be sure that you appreciate
everything you've got
And be thankful for the
Little things in life
that mean a lot.

Rainbows On The Wall:

Sitting here watching,
Rainbows dance on the wall,
Is it an angel,
What's making it,
I can't see where from,
All the words are said,
Just waiting on the,
Phenobarbital party,
If the angels are spinning,
'Round and round the ceiling,
I wish I saw them clearly,
There by the painting,
Little Gypsy woman on the wall,
There's rainbows all around you,
Rainbows on the wall,
You went through.

AquarianM

By: Daniel A. Stafford
(C) 02/07/2003

Author's Comments:
Said good bye to Mom today,
big hug, she wanted to go to sleep.
*************************
Mom is gone. She chose complete sedation -
unconsciousness until the end. I found a little angel pin
in the doorway to her room, and I pegged it into the wall,
over her doorway. Just a tiny thing. Maybe it was the
answer to this poem.