Friday, Jul. 11, 2008

Letter: Don't steal flowers

Lois Climer was born Oct. 14, 1924. She grew up in hard times, married very young, and had eight children. She worked hard all her life along with my dad in the hot fields - chopping and picking cotton, working on dusty tomato pickers and eventually working in a tomato paste plant.

She worked until she was 74 years old, and only retired because she had developed an illness. Although ill, she continued to work in her yard. Her delight was sitting on her patio and looking at her flowers and listening to her wind chimes.

She had many wind chimes and I am the fortunate one to now have them hanging in my patio. She would say when they rang that the angels were singing to her. Now when I hear them, they are singing and she is in the choir with them.

At her passing, she was laid to rest at the Los Baños Cemetery. We give everyone who works there great thanks for keeping it so clean and beautiful.

We visit her often, and are always putting new flowers and wind chimes here. However, they don't last long. For five years, when we go visit her grave, her flowers and wind chimes are gone. We know the rules of old flowers and glass, etc. and we change her flowers often. I know that it is not the employees who toss them or take them.

Our mother was a wonderful person and there was nothing she wouldn't give to someone if she thought they need it. And in death, we know she doesn't mind that someone helps themselves to her flower and wind chimes. We believe that whoever takes these things, needs them more than her.

So to those who take things from the graves of our loved ones, be assured that they don't mind, but GOD does! When you hear the wind chimes, think of the angels singing to you and when you look at the flowers, even if they aren't real, remember to thank my mom!

Brenda Young and the family of Lois Climer