Ask Billie

What am I doing with my dash? A few weeks ago I read again a short story I had heard several years ago. It goes something like this. A man was walking in a cemetery and asked, "Have you ever noticed how much meaning a dash can have? Born 1921- Died 1981. What a way to summarize a life - with a dash!"

We have no control over the numbers that mark our birth and our death but we are in control of our dash. This has been in my thoughts the past few days as we have said goodbye to two people who were very important to our community. Their dashes were totally different in length but each used their dash to contribute to our lives and our memories. The two in my thoughts are 83-year- Mary Patterson and 26-year-old Heather Barbee.

I have tried to remember when I first met Mary and I can't. She has always been here, as long as I have known about Wharton. If she was ever without a smile or a warm greeting her customers never knew. She was loyal and in a world where employees come and go it is most unusual to be employed in the same business for 51 years. Ownerships changed but Mary didn't. She will be missed.

We are saddened because of the death of one of our young women, Heather Barbee. There are no words to express the thoughts of family and friends who loved this young wife and mother of two young sons. Heather and her family have given us a new meaning to courage and her faith made everyone around her stronger. Her years were not many, but her dash made a huge difference in everyone she met.

When cancer takes those we care about we are devastated, but they would join us in saying we must never give up the fight to conquer the disease. Last Sunday afternoon we saw evidence of that determination as we enjoyed the American Cancer Society 2007 Christmas Home Tour. A special thanks to Harlan and Nena Boettcher, John and Monica Kubena and Dan and Maryan Gertson for opening their homes and making it possible for more dollars to go for the cancer fight. Also, a big thanks to all those who made this a memorable and successful event.

Yes, this is the season for shopping for Christmas and Hanukah and some of us have probably been occupied with other activities. The best solution is to buy a ball for the Tree of Life, located at South Texas Medical Clinic.

These ornaments may be purchased in memory or honor of someone and names will be placed on them.

Yes, these can be celebration balls to us or a way to count our blessings. Again, money raised will go to the American Cancer Society and also some remains in Wharton County to help those suffering from cancer. We are reminded that contributions given through the American Cancer Society make up a large percentage of the funds used for research.

Albert Schweitzer said, "A person starts to live when he lives outside himself." It is still true in 2007 as you are demonstrating.