Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity!
It is like the precious ointment upon the head, that ran down upon the beard, even Aaron's beard: that went down to the skirts of his garments;
As the dew of Hermon, and as the dew that descended upon the mountains of Zion: for there the Lord commanded the blessing, even life for evermore. — Psalm 133
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This is the central and longest movement in Becky's life. For her and Phil, as for Edmund Burke, family [as set forth in the 4th & 5th commandments] was the first and only natural society and, as such, served as the universe's organic touchstone for validating or nullifying all the artificial forms of society invented or conceived by humans. Family was ecology ... everything else was mere economy.
This [natural] society, founded in natural appetites and instincts, and not in any positive institution, I shall call natural society. Thus far nature went and succeeded: but man would go farther. The great error of our nature is, not to know where to stop, not to be satisfied with any reasonable acquirement; not to compound with our condition; but to lose all we have gained by an insatiable pursuit after more.
As such, it was not coincidence that Phil & Becky moved to a farm in SE Kansas after their marriage in 1977 and began their life together closer to nature than any city life could provide.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ to be continued ...
... We will be providing more detail on this vital movement in Becky's life as Phil and their children have opportunity to recollect and articulate. In the meantime, DO NOT HESITATE to share your comments below about what you learned about family and kids from your interactions with Becky.
Share YOUR memories of Becky HERE ... and let us know who you are. THANKS.
ReplyDeleteMy introduction to Becky occurred on a Sunday morning in the summer of 1993. Our infant congregation, Heartland Community Church, was holding services in the gymnasium of Love Box Company. I'd mentioned to someone that I was interested in homeschooling. I had 2 boys and was pregnant with our daughter. I was directed to Becky who was sitting on the bleachers deep in conversation, looking up at the person standing in front of her. Her son Walter, then a toddler, came and crawled into her lap and began fiddling with the buttons on her blouse. Without a pause or any embarrassment, Becky gave him access to nurse and continued her conversation. Wow!
ReplyDeleteI forgot to give my name above.
DeleteMaryKay Larson
There is not a memory of my childhood or young adult life that has not been either shaped by Becky or involves her or her family. Growing up in the Sunnydale community and now living here raising our family has been one of this life’s greatest blessings. There is likely a whole novel that I could write on all the moments and experiences but will try and sum them up in short memories below. Hopefully some of these also make you re-member similar memories with her. I considered her like a second mom but was thankful I remained a neighbor and never experienced the wooden paddle with all the holes!
ReplyDelete- North and South themed birthday parties
- 101st Street Calvary
- Bit and Spur Saddle Club barrel racing days
- Dutch baby pancakes after a good morning hunt
- Holiday game feasts of geese, duck, and pheasant at one of the longest and well-loved tables of the community.
- Allowing just about anything to be cooked, experimented, or butchered on her kitchen counter
- Good conversations at the Lake and welcoming many to come
- Her driving me 14 hrs back from the lake when I had a severe tooth abscess and reading scripture with me the whole way back.
- Bringing dead goats over to burry in our dam during excavation repairs
- Always encouraging an open door policy to their home and dinner table
- Her love for gardening and our family’s peonies.
- Bringing in Mr. Schmidt to teach George and I science in 8th grade while we were homeschooled which in turn lead to us building a still in the woodshop and making vodka….that tasted horrible
- The passion she had to hold hands and sing the doxology during get togethers or meals.
- The New Years Eve parties and singing Auld Lang Syne at midnight
- Cooking lunch meals for the compressed earth block crews the summer of 2009
She sometimes took the “Big Fish” approach to stories but I’ve come to realize that in that she so often did it to highlight others and the love they had for whatever story was being told. She always knew how to bring others in to the conversation and make them feel seen and noticed.
She never demanded excellence from us, but she always loved and came alongside those who pursued it. She met us where we were and pushed us to make something of whatever we were doing. To not be idle and to pursue good things.
With the deepest love and thankfulness,
Chris Jackson