By Barbara Morris
Although I am not a Roman Catholic, after Pope John Paul II's election I read a lot about him and was in awe. When he came to this country and was to greet a throng of admirers in the pouring rain, as he stepped out to meet them the sun suddenly burst through and the rain ceased. Every witness must have felt a special presence.He has touched people of many religions worldwide and already there are predictions of sainthood. As I did when President Reagan was shot, when Pope John Paul II was shot I sent a check asking that a protective vest be provided for him. Both checks were returned with notes saying they were appreciated, but there was “no need.” Faith lived to its fullest has no bounds.Certainly, the pope's life, illness and death was evidence of that. He accomplished an amazing number of things and will live on in the pages of history and in many hearts. He wanted no tears, but rejoicing. He is, no doubt, resting in peace that is well-deserved.The case of Teresa Marie Schindler Schiavo has certainly forced us to consider the necessity of stating clearly and fully in writing what our wishes are should we become incapacitated. I was fortunate that I never had qualms about that. When I was 18, one of the people for whom I did work was a lawyer. I wrote my first will and asked him to check it over for me. He did and then rocked back in his chair and asked me how much I had accumulated in my fortune.I had to confess that it was all in the planning stages, but whatever I finally had, I wanted it to go where I wanted it to go. I'm still updating that document since witnesses have moved away. Sometimes I have changed my mind on what I want in the will. I think having a definite plan is important as it relieves those you love of the necessity to make a painful decision for you. That is a gift in itself.One more health issue that has had me campaigning since the l950s is that of smoking. At that time, during lunch break at work I showed American Cancer Society anti-smoking movies to hundreds of fellow employees who were anxious to stop. The pictures showing lungs improved after only weeks of stopping was inspiring. I hope those who stopped never began again.Television newsman Peter Jennings (now suffering from cancer of the lungs), wishes all smokers would stop, as I do. Save your money, yourself and maybe someone else. Please do try!There is really nothing like fresh air and exercise to give you a healthy appetite for a balanced diet. At a recent meeting with partnership for Parks, the Department of Parks and Recreation, the Queens Coalition for Parks and Green Spaces and volunteers who make up the nucleus of a news group called Friends of Brookville Park, it was decided to invite additional members. We are fortunate that at this time Brookville Park needs only maintenance work for the most part, as opposed to a major overhaul.Planning, planting and maintaining flower beds, raking leaves and litter, reporting dangerous conditions and possibly painting benches might be part of the work you might want to do. We hope youngsters as young as 10 years old might be interested in participating with a parent or adult friend. We also hope teens nearing adulthood and nearing future homes of their own would volunteer not only to help the park and community, but to help prepare for their own home garden.As you know, parks are there for the use of the public. Trees help clean the air, the water is relaxing and provides food and safety for wild life and the paths and playgrounds provide space away from traffic for games and exercise. The more people frequent the parks for positive things, the more likely the parks will stay pretty and safe.Some time each year teams go around to judge the parks. In other words, each park that is judged is given a report card. We hope you (like us) want Brookville Park to get the best possible grades. Volunteering in a park can be fun.If you're willing to give it a try, call Marie Granato at 917-374-6081 or Laura Prussin at 718-520-5961, fax 718-520-5926 or e-mail Laura.Prussin@parksnyc.gov. We're looking forward to working with you.
