thedrifter
12-25-07, 06:31 AM
A Christmas to remember
Ben Lockridge
The Meridian Star
Dec. 24, 2007
I'll admit that my joy during Christmas hasn't been what it was when I was a kid. I can't stand how commercialized the holiday has become. The mad Christmas shopping rush I always seem to put myself through, bad drivers (including myself), and the stress of making ends meet until my next paycheck.
It's not hard to get into the wrong mindset at Christmas, but my perspective changed after meeting the family of Dustin Lee on Saturday.
At about 11:30 in the morning I began my drive to the town of Stonewall, and arrived around noon. After a quick meal, I sat at the Stonewall cemetery to wait for reports of when the caravan from Albany, Ga. might be getting close.
One by one, family members began to show up at Dustin Lee's gravesight. Once I saw around five people, I approaced the grave myself.
Now, I'm usually hesitant to just simply launch into discussion and ask people about their feelings when it's this kind of story; because when people deal with tragedy you never know how they might react to your reporter nose.
Five minutes later I had almost forgotten I was the reporter as family members greeted me with incredible kindness. I listened to Dustin's grandfather, Jerry Rich, as he told me about all the pranks he would pull while at work. We laughed as we shared jokes, discovered we knew some of the same people, and just talked about life.
The family of Dustin Lee seemed to have a joy that couldn't be removed. But that's because they understood something that many do not.
Rev. Chris Cooksey of Stonewall United Methodist explained it very well when told me that while the Lee family was very joyful because of Lex joining their family, that it's also a painful reminder of Dustin's sacrifice.
This means so much to me. It's Christmas time, and no matter who tells you what, the holiday is set aside for Jesus Christ. Christ gave us two gifts - one, that He came to us, and two, when He died for our place in heaven.
During Christ's ministry He provided an example to be followed. Now, I never knew Dustin, but I got to know several of his family members on Saturday. From what I gather from this strong family is that Dustin did follow the teachings of Christ. And I know he learned this from his family. The love they show total strangers is addicting.
As far as Dustin is concerned; you can't miss the symbolism here. Nine months ago Dustin didn't just die for people he knew; he died for so many others he had never met before. That's such a strong statement to me, because no matter what your feelings are about the war, I don't believe you can take away from Dustin's sacrifice. He had some strong ideals, and lived and died by them.
And again, in the spirit of giving, Lex finds a new home, and the Lee family finds a new family member. Two more gifts.
I spoke to Dustin's father, Jerome Lee, and he talked about how much having Lex means to him and the rest of his family.
"Lex is a part of Dustin, and we're proud that we get a chance to see him. Lex had his share of trouble with him being injured. When I first saw Lex, I just wanted to go hug him. It couldn't have happened at a better time," Lee said.
For the Lee family, this will certainly be a Christmas to remember for years to come.
---Ben Lockridge is a staff writer for The Meridian Star. E-mail him at www.blockridge.com.
Ellie
Ben Lockridge
The Meridian Star
Dec. 24, 2007
I'll admit that my joy during Christmas hasn't been what it was when I was a kid. I can't stand how commercialized the holiday has become. The mad Christmas shopping rush I always seem to put myself through, bad drivers (including myself), and the stress of making ends meet until my next paycheck.
It's not hard to get into the wrong mindset at Christmas, but my perspective changed after meeting the family of Dustin Lee on Saturday.
At about 11:30 in the morning I began my drive to the town of Stonewall, and arrived around noon. After a quick meal, I sat at the Stonewall cemetery to wait for reports of when the caravan from Albany, Ga. might be getting close.
One by one, family members began to show up at Dustin Lee's gravesight. Once I saw around five people, I approaced the grave myself.
Now, I'm usually hesitant to just simply launch into discussion and ask people about their feelings when it's this kind of story; because when people deal with tragedy you never know how they might react to your reporter nose.
Five minutes later I had almost forgotten I was the reporter as family members greeted me with incredible kindness. I listened to Dustin's grandfather, Jerry Rich, as he told me about all the pranks he would pull while at work. We laughed as we shared jokes, discovered we knew some of the same people, and just talked about life.
The family of Dustin Lee seemed to have a joy that couldn't be removed. But that's because they understood something that many do not.
Rev. Chris Cooksey of Stonewall United Methodist explained it very well when told me that while the Lee family was very joyful because of Lex joining their family, that it's also a painful reminder of Dustin's sacrifice.
This means so much to me. It's Christmas time, and no matter who tells you what, the holiday is set aside for Jesus Christ. Christ gave us two gifts - one, that He came to us, and two, when He died for our place in heaven.
During Christ's ministry He provided an example to be followed. Now, I never knew Dustin, but I got to know several of his family members on Saturday. From what I gather from this strong family is that Dustin did follow the teachings of Christ. And I know he learned this from his family. The love they show total strangers is addicting.
As far as Dustin is concerned; you can't miss the symbolism here. Nine months ago Dustin didn't just die for people he knew; he died for so many others he had never met before. That's such a strong statement to me, because no matter what your feelings are about the war, I don't believe you can take away from Dustin's sacrifice. He had some strong ideals, and lived and died by them.
And again, in the spirit of giving, Lex finds a new home, and the Lee family finds a new family member. Two more gifts.
I spoke to Dustin's father, Jerome Lee, and he talked about how much having Lex means to him and the rest of his family.
"Lex is a part of Dustin, and we're proud that we get a chance to see him. Lex had his share of trouble with him being injured. When I first saw Lex, I just wanted to go hug him. It couldn't have happened at a better time," Lee said.
For the Lee family, this will certainly be a Christmas to remember for years to come.
---Ben Lockridge is a staff writer for The Meridian Star. E-mail him at www.blockridge.com.
Ellie