Someone once asked a prominent individual what he would like to
be
remembered for and he
replied, "I would like to be remembered for making
a difference."
Naomi was like that.
She, too, will be remembered for making a difference
in the lives of so many
people.
It might have been happenstance that brought me to Oklahoma, then to St.
Luke's,
and finally to the School
of Continuing Education. But, then, maybe the Lord's
mysterious ways brought
me through these three phases and set the stage for
my friendship with a very
special lady.
Scanning the bulletin of the School for Continuing Education for classes
of interest,
I was not long in finding
Naomi's creative writing class. Now this was a course I
was interested in. From
the moment I entered her classroom, I was captivated!
I fell in love with her.
Now, don't misunderstand me, I wasn't alone. Everyone else
was in love with her too.
It is difficult, yet not so difficult, to describe Naomi.
She was quiet-spoken.
She was unassuming. She dressed immaculately.
She was beautiful, inside
and out. She was one classy lady, elegant in every respect.
Naomi had a talent for teaching.
She loved to teach. She enjoyed her students.
She had faith that each
of her students could write if he or she wanted to.
As we read our stories,
essays, or poetry, some of which were pitiful, and some were
pretty good, she made us
feel as though we had just won a prize for excellence.
She was always so gentle
as she critiqued our work. It was fun being in her class.
It was fun being in her
presence.
Naomi taught the budding writers attending her class at St. Luke's for
about 12 years.
I was fortunate to have
had her for three. It was a sad day when she told us she
needed to retire. She encouraged
me to join the Oklahoma City Writer's Group,
of which she was a two-time
president, further evidence of the difference she was
making and as a recognition
by her peers of her talents as a writer and as an organizer.
It was a pleasure to visit
with her, sit with her and enjoy a friendship that will mean
so much to me for the rest
of my life.
Physically Naomi is not with us. We know she is with her heavenly Father.
Who can forget Naomi?
As a husband, as a son, as a daughter, as a grandchild, as a friend,
we have
special memories of her.
And with these memories, she will live with us
forever.