Essence of person can belie physical

[Shana A]

Essence of person can belie physical

By Wendi C. Thomas (Contact), Memphis Commercial Appeal
Sunday, November 16, 2008

http://www.commercialappeal.com/news/2008/nov/16/essence-of-person-can-belie-03/

"That's her," Hazel Skinner said quietly, brushing back the dark brown, shoulder-length hair from her daughter's cheek.

Skinner ran her hand over the gold necklace around her daughter's neck. From her eldest child's hair, Skinner eased out a gold earring so it could be seen.

Skinner touched her daughter's nails, done in a French manicure, and her maternal fussing finished, stood next to the wooden casket, looked at her daughter and smiled.

"She just looks like she's sleeping," Skinner said.

Skinner has cried over the death of her daughter, but by Friday afternoon, she'd been in and out of the visitation room at N.J. Ford Funeral Home so many times, she was out of tears.

[Kaweah]

I am so glad that Duanna's mother accepted her for who she was.  At least Duanna was spared that battle.

[NicholeW.]

There's a core of heart and compassion that often shows itself in life, that makes the battles we fight among ourselves about "validity" and "who is whom and how we rate that" and "what is reality" simply pale and become unimportant.

Love and loss, heart and hope, the ache of someone simply being human.

They make the arguments seem everso unimportant and make the language of dismissal seem to pale that they disappear in importance.

Finally the arguments over "who I am and who you are" become seen for what they are: personal vanity and useless. What is important is humanity and a mother weeping over her daughter slain.

Nichole 

[lisagurl]

The two officers were fired.

Officer James Swain, 25, who had been serving a probationary period as a new officer, has been fired, said police spokeswoman Det. Monique Martin.

The other officer, Bridges McRae, 28, is on nonenforcement status, which means he's assigned to desk duty with no gun or badge, she said. He faces an administrative hearing, but Martin wouldn't say when that would happen.

Who is fantasizing?

[Kaweah]

Finally the arguments over "who I am and who you are" become seen for what they are: personal vanity and useless. What is important is humanity and a mother weeping over her daughter slain.

Nichole, you write beautifully. 

To get by, we often treat others in a superficial manner.  Its efficient, it spares us from hurt or other cost.  But it does come with its own cost to us - toughening us, making us more inclined to indifference.  Duanna's tragic story cut through my coarse indifference.  I wept for her, and for all the other persons living such hard, hard lives.  I hope that that I will remain open to that human connection.

[whatsername]

An incredibly moving story, thank you for sharing.