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| Terry Megginson Walton |
by Rev. Laura Barclay
Last week, a beloved former employee of CBF named Terry Megginson
Walton passed away from a long battle with cancer. I didn’t know her very well, unfortunately,
but she made me feel extremely welcome at CBF National events. She was warm,
quick with a smile and a laugh, and was easy to get to know. From what I
observed, Terry was keenly interested in making everyone she met feel like a
beloved child of God.
Over the last few months, I noticed that more and more
people were calling for others to pray for her over Facebook and email. But
then something even more intimate happened. Last week, people
began sharing their favorite memories of her on her Facebook pages, attaching
pictures and last messages to Terry. Dozens and dozens of people were saying
goodbye in the most touching of ways, which created an amazing memorial to her
and a fitting tribute to a life that was clearly well-lived through her love of
others.
Tears sprang to my eyes as these messages to her swallowed
my Facebook feed and I realized that her life must have been coming to an end.
And, a few days ago, her family relayed the news that she had indeed passed on.
As someone who knew her only briefly, I was overwhelmed with
the sentiments of her friends to share their best memories with her to send her
on her way. Look how many people she had touched! What a beautiful tribute!
Before Facebook was available outside of the world of
college students, one of my professors, Dr. Paul Weber lost a long battle with
cancer. Like Terry, his impact on the world is immeasurable. He was a former
priest who married a former nun and taught political science. He always strove
for a high ethical standard in whatever he pursued, and he loved mentoring
students. Dr. Weber was a huge reason why I decided to go to divinity school.
Before he passed, his family encouraged people to write letters of their
favorite memories to him without saying goodbye or focusing on his illness. I
wrote to him about his classes, my favorite lessons, and his encouragement and
care outside of the classroom. I never heard a response, but this gave me an
opportunity to not let anything left unsaid.
My takeaway from the lives and deaths of Terry Megginson Walton
and Dr. Paul Weber is this: there are amazing people in this world who touch us
deeply. We would not be the same people without them. While we can, we must let
these living saints know what they mean to us before they pass on into the
cloud of witnesses.
Who has loved, cared, sacrificed and mentored you? Are there
friendships that have transformed you life? Don’t wait until tomorrow to tell
them how much they mean to you. Let them know that their lives are well-lived,
and that they have made a difference to you.
