by Linda Wegner
Jeff joined our Toastmasters Club shortly after it was launched in the fall of 2012. He was like a breath of fresh air: young, enthusiastic, warm and friendly, already an experienced speaker and altogether a welcome addition to our fledgling group. He let us know at that first meeting that he and his wife, Emily, were visiting from Chicago and were just in our area on a six month visa. Jeff participated in all our club activities and in the process brought us a wealth of experience and encouragement.
Somehow during these past weeks I've managed to avoid thinking about Jeff and Emily's leaving. I even tried to convince them that their recently announced pregnancy would benefit by their staying here. "Just think, your child could have dual citizenship," I admonished, not knowing for sure if that actually would be the case.
Tomorrow Jeff and Emily return home and we wish them every success. (Thankfully there is Facebook and email.) As much as I'd have loved it if they had decided to make this their adopted home, I recognize that the call of one's birth place is strong and, after all, they did make it known they were just passing through.
Fact is, we're all just passing through and when folks move on, whether by choice or otherwise, the rest of us feel it. I miss knowing that Canadian icon, Stompin' Tom Conners, is no longer strumming his guitar and pounding his boots on that square of plywood. I miss family members who once filled my life with love and joy even more. One of these days I'll be moving on, too. I have no greater goal than to live so that someone else will be encouraged.
"Passing through the Valley of Weeping (Baca), they make it a place of springs." Psalm 84:6 (Amplified Bible)
