Commun ty Matters Rolla Presbyterian Manor
March 2019
The contrasts of life By Allen Teal, chaplain Rolla Presbyterian Manor
Remember your Creator in the days of your youth, before the days of trouble come and the years approach when you will say, “I find no pleasure in them.” (Ecclesiastes 12:1, NIV). March hosts three major days this year. March 6 is Ash Wednesday, which marks the first day of Lent. The twentieth is the Vernal or Spring Equinox that marks the first day of spring in the northern hemisphere. Finally, March 21 begins the Jewish festival of Purim that celebrates their deliverance during the days of Esther. The first is solemn, the second is usually lightly noted, and the third is a time to be joyful. Taken together, they represent patterns that we all go through. Life brings serious events to all. Often, serious times come in difficult moments in our lives. We think of funerals, family issues, and health problems. Introspection and sadness may be our frequent companions. The painfulness we experience may cause us to grow and become stronger, or they may push us toward giving up on life. It’s at this fork in our path that the choices we make can be critical for our future. God has promised to CHAMPLAIN, continued on page 4
Resident Mary Williams owned her own local flower shop, Sunny Wall Flowers, for 51 years.
Small but mighty:
The formidable Mary Williams March is Women’s History Month, when we celebrate female visionaries and trailblazers past and present. We’re shining the spotlight on health care resident Mary Williams for her role as business owner, honorary knight, community volunteer, grand marshal, wife, mother and grandmother. For 51 years, Mary worked as a full-service florist at her flower shop, Sunny Wall Flowers in Rolla. From weddings to funerals, school events and “just because” bouquets, Mary and her staff did it all six to seven days a week. WILLIAMS, continued on page 3