Weekend adventures were the norm for my family when we lived in Germany. Stationed at the air base in Wiesbaden gave us opportunities for weekend trips on the Rhine River, castle tours and exploring surrounding countries.
On one trip, we accompanied my father to the air base, where he had a temporary duty assignment. I remember two things about that week-long adventure. First, my younger brother and I shared a hotel room on a different floor from the room where my parents were lodged. I’ll save those antics for another time.
The second was a visit to the local museum with several rooms of ancient statues – larger than life, often missing limbs or a head. Almost all were damaged, having barely survived wartime. I was fascinated by the creation of life from rock.
We didn’t make it to Italy on our travels, so I didn’t see David by Michelangelo. He excelled at painting, sculpting, drawing and architecture as an artist. He was one of the first artists to dissect corpses to understand the human body from the inside out, creating extraordinary figures from marble with great attention to detail. He is quoted as saying, “Every block of stone has a statue inside it, and it is the work of the sculptor to discover it.” Visitors are often in awe as they describe the famous statue.
Awe touches us differently, from astonishment and wonder to surprise and reverence. It is an emotional response to what we experience through our five senses, even the more intuitive sixth sense.
As I sat at the memorial service for John Sims, long-time KTBB news anchor, editor and radio talk show host, I was awed by the integrity of comments by each speaker that came to the podium.
One speaker likened the many skills of John Sims to Michelangelo, with descriptions of his impact on the Tyler community far beyond a skilled radio announcer. Reflecting on what I heard, John’s radio work paid the bills, but his true avocation was holding us up to a mirror to see what we truly are and how each of us could be a light, a supporter, even the sinew needed to make our community better.
Toni Ferrell described John as a community weaver, bringing us together in unexpected ways. He always knew who we needed to meet or a discussion that awaited us. He asked questions that dipped below mere surface answers. Isn’t that what a great interviewer does?
I had known John for over thirty years, yet I was surprised to hear him described as a community pillar. But then I began to understand how he helped us be responsible to ourselves and the community, to be better at diversity and inclusion. John was a guide, supporter and often the backbone for Tyler Together Race Relations and the Tyler Area Community Partnership Council. He was one of our pillars.
Did you know that Michelangelo’s inspiration for David came from the story of David and the giant Goliath, who saved the Israelite army with only a sling and a few stones? Rather than stones, John’s pouch carried questions, and he was always ready with the right one.
How often do you find yourself challenged at a funeral or memorial service to become more involved, engaged or active? Don’t we mostly use the time to reflect on someone’s life and perhaps their impact on our lives? But I left John’s memorial service asking who would step into his shoes. Who would hold us up to the mirror to check our reflection – our actions and our words?
Today, I’m reflecting on how to give well to this community. If you’ve seen David, you know that Michelangelo sculpted David’s eyes in the shape of hearts. John’s heart guided his days; he was generous to causes he cared about and compassionate toward all of us. Now he has left us with the responsibility of stepping into his shoes. I wear a size seven; alone, that’s not large enough. So we have to do it together. That’s how we can all continue to give well.
Dawn Franks, author of the e-book Giving Fingerprints, is CEO of Your Philanthropy and President and CEO of the ETMC Foundation. Your Philanthropy provides high-touch advising services to families, businesses, and foundations to maximize impact and enhance the giving experience.
She writes a blog, the YP Journal, at www.your-philanthropy.com. Comments and questions are welcome. Send to info@your-philanthropy.com.
Credit:Source link
