Sweetwater Reporter (Sweetwater, Tex.), Vol. 111, No. 283, Ed. 1 Thursday, October 15, 2009 Page: 3 of 6
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Life
Sweetwater Reporter
Thursday, October 15, 2009 ■ Page 5
Remembering Our Angels Ronald’s
BY AMANDA MORENO
Staff Writer
Having to deal with the loss of a loved one, espe-
cially an infant, is devastating. Words of sympa-
thy rarely help, and the feelings of no one under-
standing can take over. Pregnancy and Infant Loss
Remembrance Day was created as a way to not only
remember, but to honor the lives that were lost too
soon. Pregnancy and Infant Loss Remembrance Day
is Oct. 15, each year. The goal is to work with all
forms of government, from local to national leaders,
near you, visit www.october15th.com. Even if you
are not able to attend a vigil, there are still ways to
get involved. Contact your local support or grievance
organization and see what you can do. Also, you can
join up with March of Dimes and help bring aware-
ness to the cause.
“People need to learn to care about these babies as
if they were here with us,” Leighton said.
Each year, thousands of babies are lost to stillbirth,
miscarriage, SIDS and neonatal death. There are
far too many families that have to grieve in silence,
and bring awareness and education, to the commu-
nities, about the loss of a child, due to miscarriage,
stillbirth, and/or neonatal death. The organization
strives to promote the need for openness, under-
standing and compassion. It encourages families that
have lost a child, to remember them without having
to hide their grief.
Pregnancy and Infant Loss Remembrance Day was
created so that information and support is available,
for those who want aru need it. It also selves as an
educational tool for the communities, so that people
can better respond to families dealing with the loss
of their child. The dav also serves as a time that is set
aside, to remember all pregnancies and infants lost
so that families can heal and be comforted in their
time of heartache and pain. It also strives to give
them hope for the future, according to the Oct. 15,
Web site.
“People are often saying get over it, but you don’t
get over it. You learn to live with it, but you never and
should never have to get over the loss of your child,”
Audra Leighton, mother of an angel baby, said.
One of the activities that takes place on Oct. 15, is
the Wave of Light ceremony. Nationwide, at 7 p.m. a
candlelight vigil is held. The goal is to have a continu-
ous wave of light, all around the nation. This is a time
for families to come together and share their grief
and remember the children that they have lost.
“These children were a part of our lives and they
should be a part of society. We don’t forget grandpar-
ents when they die. Why should we have to forget our
children," Leighton said.
The loss and grief is still present, despite the fact
that the child didn’t get the opportunity to live a
full life. The Wave of Light vigil serves as a way to
remember these children.
“Far too often, they get forgotten just because they
didn’t get to live a full life," Leighton said.
To find more information, or a Wave of Light Vigil
\
V
sometimes they are never able to come to terms with
their loss. There are foundations out there, designed
to offer support and help families cope with their
loss, such as Babies in the Sky, The Hope and Healing
Foundation, The MISS Foundation, and many more.
“It is our hope that society will learn to recognize
these babies as a part of our lives, and to show every-
one that they will never be forgotten. We are here to
recognize those precious angels that were apart of
our lives so briefly,” Leighton said.
To find out more information visit www.octo-
ber15th.com. For a personal story and viewpoint visit
www.rance-wade-leighton.memory-of.com.
Their lives may have been short, but they still have
a story and the opportunity is there for people to
know about it.
A
Dear \nnic: I'm a i.| year old girl who is
having relation-hip problems. M\ new boy
■HU 1 friend and I just booked up over the week-
Jend. "Carter’’ and I go to church together.
and he has always been my best friend. I was*
too shy to ask him out myself, so I had my
friend "Justin" help me.
We got together while our youth group met at church.
Everything was going perfectly. We were holding hands
and cuddling. But on Sunday morning during greeting
at church, Justin came up to me and said Carter told
him I'm weird to be with and there's another girl he
likes more.
Justin isn't very happy with Carter, and neither am
I. We both talked to my mother, and she said I should
back off and let Carter chase after me if he's interested.
She savs she doesn't want me to appear too easy. Is she
right? VVliat should I do? - Perfect Relationship
Gone Wrong
Dear Perfect: Listen to your mother. Spending
a morning holding hands and cuddling does not
constitute a relationship. Carter was interested
enough to check you out, but apparently not
enough to consider you his girlfriend. It's also
possible Justin is giving you inaccurate infor-
mation. Either way, it's best if you let Carter
make the next move.
Dear Annie: 1 find trick-01 treating annoying. I
was raised in a religious group that didn't celebrate
Halloween. My mother bated having to answer the door
constantly and took out her anger on me. I once sug-
gested we stop opening the door or nut up a sign saying,
"No Trick-or-Trenting here, please,' but she wouldn't. I
think she was afraid they'd throw eggs.
My brother and 1 still find it irritating. 1 don't want
my doorbell ringing all night. I don't want to get up
and open the door over and over. I'm sure I'm not the
only one. Think of those who are disabled or have just
brought home a new baby or are caring for a sick child.
Answering the door all evening is an unwanted imposi-
tion. I also resent these kids coming onto my property
asking for candy. I think it's just plain wrong.
What can 1 do to keep them away? 1 don’t want them
to graffiti mv property or toilet paper my trees. 1 can
ID KATUN MITCHELL AND MARCN Nl'GAR
grab them if they do, but if the police are busy, they
might not come and then I'd be stuck with the kids
indefinitely.
Could you put up some kind of warning in your col-
umn asking parents not to let their kids trick-or-treat
unless they know the homeowner? -- Elizabeth, N.J.
Dear N.J.: It's too had you can't enjoy greeting
children with a smile and brightening their day
once a year. Most parents supervise their kids
and prefer they stay within familiar territory.
And most kids will skip unwelcoming homes
where the lights are off or the treat is a breath
mint. But if you are concerned about becoming
the neighborhood curmudgeon, put out a gen-
erous basket of candy on your front steps with
a big sign saying, "Please don't ring hell. Take
a piece of candy. Happy Halloween." Refill it
once or twice at your leisure. When the basket is
empty, the kids will know the cupboard is bare.
Dear Annie: I completely disagree with your response
to "Just Wondering in Indiana," who was bothered by
the tooth-brusher in the bowling alley restroom.
You never know someone's personal situation. What
if that young girl recently underwent oral surgery and
was required to keep her teeth brushed after eating?
"Indiana" should take a bottle of hand sanitizer with
her and use that to cleanse her hands because brushing
one's teeth is hardly the worst thing that happens in a
public bathroom. Pennsylvania
Dear Pennsylvania: We were surprised by the
number of people who like to brush in public
places. As we said, if there is a good reason to he
brushing in the restroom, fine, but in general,
personal hygiene should be done at home, and
we are sticking with that.
Annie's Mailbox is written In/ Kotin1 Mitchell and
Moral Sugar, longtime editors of the Ann Landers
column. Please e-mail your questions to anniesmail-
boxCipcomeast.net, or write to: Annie's Mailbox, P.O.
box 118190, Chicago, II. 60611. To find out more about
Annie's Mailbox, and read features by other Creators
Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators
Syndicate Web page at www.creators.eom.
MEMORIES
BY AMANDA MORENO
Staff Writer
Ronald Bredemeyer chose to share his memories
of Sweetwater, with me, in hopes that I would
share them with the readers.
“My mind may not be as sharp as it was when
it comes to remembering dates, but l still can
remember how things were," Bredemeyer said.
Fun was one thing that Ronald Bredemeyer
didn’t lack, while growing up in Sweetwater. His
friends and he would ride around town and find
things to do, even when the driving around became
tiresome, the fun didn't stop.
“We would get tired of driving around and we
would stop and yell, so that we could talk with the
inmates at the jail. It would help pass the time,
until the deputy would come out and run 11s off,”
Bredemeyer said.
As a younger child, his sister and he would sit in
the car, while their mother did the grocery shop-
ping. Each trip would bring either a box of animal
crackers or a bag of m&ms.
“We would play and talk about the different ani-
mals in the animal crackers box. We would sepa-
rate the m&ms, and then each the different colors,”
Bredemeyer said.
The grocery store that they would sit outside
used to be Save Way grocery, but was later turned
into City Hall.
The BlueBonnet Hotel was another “famous”
place in Sweetwater. The top floor was the venue
for proms and other dances, until a fire burned part
of the building and damaged it.
“It was originally built for the railroad men that
came through, but once the railroad business went
away, the hotel followed,” Bredemeyer said.
According to Bredemeyer, it seems that it was
easier for them to tear them down instead of doing
something with the buildings.
Throughout Sweetwater, there used to be three
Piggly Wiggly stores. One of the Piggly Wiggly stores
was located around the Sweetwater Reporter.
“After it closed, it was turned into a bowling alley,
then toa repairshopand then into the International
1 larvestor Supply Company," Bredemeyer said.
Accepting New Patients!
Ellen D. Walthall, M.D.
Board Certified in
General Surgery
Is Pleased To Announce The
Opening Of Her Office At:
RPMH Doctors Building
301 Jenny George Lane
Sweetwater, Te.xas
Accepting New Patients
October 26, 2009
Most Insurances Accepted
Please call for an appointment
325-236-8072
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When it costs us less to bring you power,
You should pay less to use that power.
1-X00-442-8688
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Rodriguez, Tatiana. Sweetwater Reporter (Sweetwater, Tex.), Vol. 111, No. 283, Ed. 1 Thursday, October 15, 2009, newspaper, October 15, 2009; Sweetwater, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth561843/m1/3/?q=%22~1~1%22~1: accessed July 16, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu.; crediting Sweetwater/Nolan County City-County Library.