we are an Easter people

It was just a few days ago that my mother went home to Jesus.  It has been a difficult week to be sure, but we are an Easter people.  I cannot believe in the resurrection only when it's convenient.  As I look ahead to Mom's funeral, I am reminded by the Book of Common Prayer that “The liturgy for the dead is an Easter liturgy. It finds all its meaning in the resurrection. Because Jesus was raised from the dead, we, too, shall be raised."  Today I am sure will be a difficult one for my sister and I, but grief is part of death.  Indeed, the BCP also says "The very love we have for each other in Christ brings deep sorrow when we are parted by death. Jesus himself wept at the grave of his friend."  I have a feeling I will be showing a lot of sorrow in the days ahead, with a mixture of joy for all that Mom brought to the world.

Today, as I continue to mourn, I return to writing these daily words in the hope that they will touch someone and move them to making a difference in this world.  I am confidant that Mom made a huge difference!  As I hold her in my mind, the Easter story, the very one we celebrate today, gives me hope knowing that, as Saint Paul remind's us, "nothing can separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord."

The first day of the week cometh Mary Magdalene early, when it was yet dark, unto the sepulchre, and seeth the stone taken away from the sepulchre. Then she runneth , and cometh to Simon Peter, and to the other disciple, whom Jesus loved, and saith unto them, They have taken away the Lord out of the sepulchre, and we know not where they have laid him.  Peter therefore went forth, and that other disciple, and came to the sepulchre.  So they ran both together: and the other disciple did outrun Peter, and came first to the sepulchre.  And he stooping down, and looking in, saw the linen clothes lying; yet went he not in .  Then cometh Simon Peter following him, and went into the sepulchre, and seeth the linen clothes lie,  And the napkin, that was about his head, not lying with the linen clothes, but wrapped together in a place by itself.  Then went in also that other disciple, which came first to the sepulchre, and he saw , and believed.  For as yet they knew not the scripture, that he must rise again from the dead.  Then the disciples went away again unto their own home.  But Mary stood without at the sepulchre weeping : and as she wept , she stooped down , and looked into the sepulchre,  And seeth two angels in white sitting , the one at the head, and the other at the feet, where the body of Jesus had lain.  And they say unto her, Woman, why weepest thou? She saith unto them, Because they have taken away my Lord, and I know not where they have laid him.  And when she had thus said, she turned herself back, and saw Jesus standing, and knew not that it was Jesus. Jesus saith unto her, Woman, why weepest thou? whom seekest thou? She, supposing him to be the gardener, saith unto him, Sir, if thou have borne him hence, tell me where thou hast laid him, and I will take him away.  Jesus saith unto her, Mary. She turned herself, and saith unto him, Rabboni; which is to say, Master.  Jesus saith unto her, Touch me not; for I am not yet ascended to my Father: but go to my brethren, and say unto them, I ascend unto my Father, and your Father; and to my God, and your God.  Mary Magdalene came and told the disciples that she had seen the Lord, and that he had spoken these things unto her.

Let not your heart be troubled

Mom died last night at Seton Coastside in Moss Beach, California.  Never before have I seen so many loving and caring people.  I will remember the nursing staff there always, especially Herbie who melted Mom's heart when she first was admitted and who shared a hug with my sister and I at the time of Mom's death.

Mom was a very special person - a true giver.  I'm not yet ready to write my usual blog entries here.  Do forgive me if I take a bit of time off.  My heart is very heavy, but these words from Saint John's gospel do provide some comfort:

Let not your heart be troubled:

ye believe in God, believe also in me.

In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so,

I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.

And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.

And whither I go ye know, and the way ye know.

Thomas saith unto him, Lord, we know not whither thou goest; and how can we know the way?

Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.

Rest in peace Mom

Edna Louise Fritts, whom most people knew simply as Teddy, was born to eternal life this evening just days after learning she had lung cancer.  There was very little time to say goodbye to this wonderful woman who touched so many lives as a nurse and a teacher's aide and as a church volunteer.  She was a friend to pretty much everyone she met.  She was famous though not only for her warmth and generousity of spirit, but also for her huge collection of teddy bears.

I know this blog is NOT about me - it is really about giving back and making a difference - that pretty much sums up who Teddy Fritts was.  Teddy Fritts really did make a difference!  This blog would never have happened were it not for her.  Teddy Fritts was my mother. 

Although she was born in New York State, she traveled around the country and it was always important to her to be near my sister and I.  She had in fact just moved to California at the end of last year to be nearer to me.

Mom, the olderst of five children, was preceded in death by her parents and all of her siblings. A funeral mass will be held at Advent of Christ the King, San Francisco at 11am on Saturday, April 20. Memorial donations can be made to Good Bears of the World (a non profit organization which provides teddy bears to children of all ages and to lonely senior citizens), to the American Cancer Society, or to Saint Edmund's Episcopal Church in Pacifica, CA.

Writing this tonight is the hardest thing I have ever done.  The days ahead I know will be difficult ones for me and my sister.  I'm going to miss her so much.  Thank you for giving me life Mom and for always believing in me and my sister.  Thanks for making a difference!

the inspiring chef

The Jubilee Project never fails to inspire.  I have written about them here before and yesterday they released their latest video.  Click HERE to watch The Master Chef, the story of Christine Ha, who in 2003 was diagnosed with neuromyelitis optica, a disease that caused her blindness. She didn't think that she could move on and felt devastated and alone, but she DID succeed.

Ms Ha is an example of how we can do great thing is we just believe.  She had love and support from her boyfriend too and that can make a world of difference.  She went with her love - cooking, and she did what she had thought impossible - what many might have thought impossible.

This inspiring chef is just the latest inspiratinal story from The Jubliee Project.  I really believe in what these guys are doing and I hope you will not only check out this video, but if you don't already know about them, take a momesnt to check even more at their website http://jubileeproject.org/

More on AIDS and AIDS Walk

The words from Randy Shilts which I shared here yesterday are of course only part of the picture.  Randy did an excellent job of covering the early days of HIV/AIDS, both in the San Francisco Chronicle and in his book And the Band Played On, which was also made into a movie.  Much has happened since Randy left us though.

In recent year the number of AIDS related deaths has declined, but the deaths still come.  AIDS services are needed just as much today.  That is one reason why fundraisers like AIDS Walk are so important.  I invite you to join in.  There are AIDS Walk events not only here in San Francisco but in several other cities as well.  You can get details at http://aidswalk.net

If you are not in a city where AIDS Walk takes place, consider sponsoring a walker (like me) or simply make a general donation.

Learn the facts too.  http://aids.gov/ is a good place to go if your information is limited.  Someday we will see an even to AIDS, but until there's a cure, we need to keep on trying.  We cannot give up and walk away. 

A Few Words From Randy Shilts

A few words from Randy Shilts, which he wrote back in 1982.  AIDS was called GRID then.  We didn't know much about it.  Randy's words were important to me.  Randy was someone I knew - in fact he was the first person I met when I moved to San Francisco.  Later he would be one of the first persons I knew who died from AIDS.  Randy was just one of hundreds, perhaps thousands, that I knew who died from AIDS, and sadly there will probably be more.  For years I have walked in AIDS Walk San Francisco.  Read Randy's words below.  Perhaps this will help you understand why I walk.

A 45-year-old San Francisco man looked at the purple spots covering his arms, face and chest and contemplated the death sentence they might foreshadow.
  
"Every time I see a new spot, I think I'm a step closer to death," said Jerry, a former waiter. "I don't even look in the mirror any more."
  
Jerry is a victim of one of a series of baffling diseases hitting primarily gay men with increasing frequency across the country.
  
Scientists have lumped the various illnesses together under the acronym of GRID -- for gay-related immuno-deficiency diseases -- and public health officials have come to view them as the most startling health problem to hit the United States since the first outbreak of Legionnaire's disease in 1976.
  
The numbers of gay men struck by the GRID disease passed epidemic proportions long ago and are now frightening public health officials for a number of reasons.
  
-- In the 11 months since the first American case of a rare skin cancer known as Kaposi's sarcoma was reported to federal authorities, the cancer and the other GRID illnesses have reportedly struck 335 Americans, almost all of them gay, killing 136 -- a higher death toll than both toxic shock syndrome and Legionnaire's disease combined.
  
-- The diseases, most of which were previously unheard of among healthy young men, offer few hopes for survival. Only 15 percent of the men diagnosed in 1979 for Kaposi's sarcoma, now colloquially known as "gay cancer," are alive now, say federal officials. Two-thirds of the reported 1980 victims have died.
  
-- The overall death rate for patients with Pneumocystis pneumonia, the "gay pneumonia," which is the deadliest GRID, now stands at 50 percent.

 -- Public health officials are also discovering that a laundry list of other strange diseases are striking gay men, apparently associated with a dysfunction of the patient's immune systems. These "opportunistic" diseases now account for one-sixth of GRID victims.

I would be honored to have you as one of my sponsors in this year's AIDS Walk SF.  To donate, just go to my secure fundraising page by clicking the link at the top right of this page or HERE - and thanks for your support!

Go inspire more

When I first met Toan Lam, he was working as a reporter at KRON4, a local television station here in San Francisco.  (Actually he might have just left the station.  I remember our introduction, but can't quite remember when it was).  I knew about his new job, or perhaps I should say "calling."  I wrote about Go Inspire Go a couple of times here, as a matter of fact.  The key word there is inspire, because that is exactly what it does.

What we do here every day in this blog, is write about giving back - making a difference in the world.  From everything I have seen and read, Toan Lam could easily be the posterboy for giving back and for inspiring others to do likewise.  What an incredible idea he had.  What incredible work he continues to do!

So, I'd like to once again invite you to check out their website.  There are tons of hearwarming stories there and ways that we can all join in.  It's pretty easy to get there - http://goinspirego.com/ - just click there and you will be sent directly to these wonderful stories.  Help Go Inspire Go continue their wonderful mission of making a difference.  You can add your own stories.  You can donate airline miles to them.  You can like them on facebook and follow them on twitter.  Tell your friends too!