Memories last forever
The theme of this year’s Advent devotion is: Do you see what I see? An array of St. Paul voices selected a photo or photos that hold very special memories to them, then sat down and reflected on what that photo means to them. What do they see and remember that others may not when looking at this photo? Through their words and stories, hopefully, you’ll see a little of what they see.
“Do you see what I see” were exactly my thoughts on Dec. 21, 1970, when I first saw my wife, Ellen, meeting me when I walked off the plane in Hawaii for my R & R. I was serving in the 1st Calvary Division in Vietnam and had been in the country for 7 months.
Both Ellen and I were very thankful for the good Lord bringing us together, even though it was only for a week. The picture of Ellen and me hugging sums up our feelings, and there was divine intervention that we were both safe and healthy.
The week in Hawaii went by very fast and, when we had to say goodbye again, we knew that we had to trust that God would keep us both safe so could reunite in 5 months, which occurred on Easter Sunday in April.
Each Christmas we think back on how fortunate we were in 1970 to have the opportunity to be together. God has seen us through challenging times with health issues, etc., but we turn to God for strength and guidance in our lives. Memories last forever.
Ellen Freese, worked at Genesis Health System as a nurse recruiter and retired in 2011, Charles Freese was superintendent of Calamus/Wheatland Community School and retired in 2011, and living in DeWitt for the past 8 years.
