We lost a Rose

By Jerry Davis

 

I met a Rose about two years ago.  Lou Jane, my wife,  met this Rose about a year later.  This Rose had several thorns on the outside but when this rose blossomed she spread her sweet fragrance to those around her.  We met her at a meeting of the Central Texas Gem and Mineral Society with her husband Jim.   It was obvious that their rapport was one of love.  We also noticed her quick wit and pointed sense of humor with everyone she met.

I couldn’t understand Rose very well at first because one of her thorns was a degree of speech impairment.  I didn’t know then what had caused the problem and don’t know now, but my understanding was that this thorn had been with her since birth.  As time went on I began to understand her words better and found that this Rose was expressing a great sense of love and humor for other people and was not allowing her thorns to keep her from being a strong and loving person.

I also noticed that this Rose made field trips with our club.  It was obvious that these trips were very difficult and thorns of arthritis hurt very much but Rose didn’t complain.  This Rose made the trip fine and looked for beauty in everything.

We soon discovered that this Rose wanted to paint pictures on stone even with the pain and difficulty of maneuvering of the brush through her damaged fingers.   Club members began to cut slices of beautiful rocks that contained background scenes and gave them to Rose.  Rose filled these scenes with beautiful horses, Indian Princesses, and great Indian Chiefs.  These beautiful paintings became her specialty with the club.  Everyone wanted one of Rose’s rock paintings. 

This Rose couldn’t make the second field trip to Big Bend area last Thanksgiving, but she said “Jim, I can’t make it this time but I want you to go.  I don’t feel well enough to go, but I want you to go and don’t give me any argument about it.”  We missed Rose on that trip.

The pain of Rose’s thorns continued on through winter, spring, and summer without doctors being able to cure the mysterious pains and debilitating factors of her illness.  We all lost a Rose as she gained her freedom from pain and passed from this world to one without thorns.  We loved this Rose and she blessed us for the short time we knew her.

Written in honor of Rose Owens who passed from our midst at 2:05AM on September 5th, 2000.

 

 

 

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