Friday, January 11, 2008
Jean crossed over from this realm to the next last evening at 10:45. Her brother-in-law Earl and I had the honor of caring for her the last few days of her earthly life -Earl had the day shift and I the night shift. Her transition was peaceful and easy with family, friends, and pets around her, classical cello playing, the fireplace ablaze, and her aquarium active. Watts and a close friend had just poured a drink and as they toasted her and clinked their glasses, she drew her last breath. Her timing was perfect, as always!! Watts then led a ceremony which included The Lord's Prayer, Amazing Grace, reading of a favorite poem - "Let Evening Come" by Jane Kenyon, cleansing and then surrounding her body with rose petals, and the sharing of wine and stories - a very special send off for a truly special lady!! This is a time for celebration, as her physical challenges have ended and she has entered into joy, peace, and light. Trudy
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Let Evening Come
by Jane Kenyon
Let the light of late afternoon
shine through chinks in the barn, moving
up the bales as the sun moves down.
Let the cricket take up chafing
as a woman takes up her needles
and her yarn. Let evening come.
Let dew collect on the hoe abandoned
in long grass. Let the stars appear
and the moon disclose her silver horn.
Let the fox go back to its sandy den.
Let the wind die down. Let the shed
go black inside. Let evening come.
To the bottle in the ditch, to the scoop
in the oats, to air in the lung
let evening come.
Let it come, as it will, and don't
be afraid. God does not leave us
comfortless, so let evening come.
Dear Trudy,
I am happy to read that you were by your sister's side. What a comfort for you all, what a blessing that Jean was surrounded by all this love. And thank you for sharing your words. I too was with you there each moment...and only regret that I couldn't physically be there to help give comfort to you all as well.
Peace and love to you all.
Trudy, can we chat at some point-
lizrogoff@yahoo.com
Thank you for sharing this story-it was beautiful just like Jean. Peace be with your family.
Now some might say this is just a coincidence, and some might know like me there was a sign to tell us to keep the faith and all is well. I have known Jean through our school psychology connections and have always been inspired by her positive approach. I have made a promise to enjoy each day since my own prognosis has been so much better and I feel so blessed. Now I came back from my walk with my two little Bostons from the lake this morning and read the beautiful passage about your passing ceremony, including the use of rose petals. Imagine my surprise, because at the lake on my walk, I found strewn around the bench from which I watch the freshwater seagulls sail over the water, yes, beautifully colored and placed rose petals, which at the time seemed oddly out of place. I think Jean wanted to send her love and tell you she is ok. Please accept my deepest sympathy for your loss. Judy Oehler-Stinnett
What a beautiful ending to a beautiful life. Nevertheless, my heart goes out to your family during this difficult time. May you be comforted by God’s presence and peace.
I wanted to add my thoughts about Jean, even though I wasn’t able to share prior to her passing. Like so many others, Jean has had a great impact on my life, both through what she taught me academically and what she taught me through the way she lived her life. Jean was truly an intelligent, creative person who made a great contribution to the field of school psychology, through her research, teaching, volunteer work, and through her work with the individuals that she encountered along the way. What impressed me the most about Jean was her ability to relate to anyone that she came into contact with in some way. She possessed a warmth and compassion that few people do. I will never forget the first time that I met Jean. I was visiting Michigan State for a graduate school interview. I remember feeling nervous prior to entering her office and leaving feeling much more calm. Throughout my years at Michigan State, there were many more times that I entered her office feeling stressed and overwhelmed and left feeling a sense of peace. Jean had an uncanny ability to pass along a sense of peace and calmness to those around her, likely because she herself had such a calm and compassionate demeanor. Jean was such a blessing to me through my years at Michigan State. She has influenced both the way I practice school psychology and the way I live my life. I know without a doubt that Jean’s legacy of knowledge and compassion will influence the world for years to come, through the lives of all those who came into contact with her.
Tara
I'm so sorry to hear of your loss, and I am very sad to hear that Jean passed away. Jean was my first advisor at UGA when I was a very new, very wet behind the ears graduate student straight out of college. She was wonderful, and made me feel very much at home. I remember that she let me test Liz (who may have been around 8 at the time) for my assessment class, and Liz promptly and cheerfully told me all the things I was doing wrong in the test administration.
Lest she have thought that she didn't rub off in some way on her students, I can assure you that there is another youngish academic mom (of 4) down here at UNC Chapel Hill who is trying to balance pragmatism with the craziness of everyday life, who takes the best care of her students that she can, who knits socks by the dozens, who loves to cook, and who enjoys a good red wine. Thanks to Jean for being such a wonderful role model, and I want to be just like her when I grow up, too. I wish you all the best.
-Jenny Hiemenz
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