We all pass things down to our children, one generation to the next, the good and the bad whether it is beautiful blue eyes or a stubborn streak. Donna Bradshaw of Lantana had a love of quilting passed down to her, from her grandmother, to her mother, and then to her. Like a twine ball gathering girth and strength as it gets larger, Bradshaw’s quilting passion has grown from the desire of having something to pass down to her own three children to a ministry called Pocket Prayers that has so far provided about 3,000 United States servicemen and women with a personal message and a bible verse sewn on a patriotic square of fabric that will fit easily into a pocket, a backpack, or a helmet.

     I had the good fortune to spend some time with Bradshaw this week, and it was quite a treat to hear her talk about her passion for quilting. Enthusiasm is contagious, and even though I’ve been known in my forties to ask my mother to hem a pair of pants, I left Starbucks thinking that maybe I, too, could quilt. Bradshaw, who moved with her husband Sid to Lantana about a year ago from San Clemente, California, brought her quilting supplies with her and began a Pocket Prayers ministry at their new church home, Chinn Chapel United Methodist. The seed money for the ministry came from Bradshaw’s cousin who wanted to honor her late husband’s memory, and now a group of about 16 are involved in an effort to quilt the little four inch squares of fabric that are passed out to service men and women to let them know they are never alone.

    Sometimes accompanied by her church friends, Bradshaw goes to DFW Airport and hands out the Pocket Prayers to troops that are either flying in or out of the airport.  “It’s very emotional,” she said. “They come through very quickly. You can pat them on the back, but their hands are full. They are loaded down, so we stick the Pocket Prayer in a pocket, or a backpack, or anywhere we... [Read More]

     One of the things I find satisfying in life are those “full circle” moments, sort of an “aha!” moment when you can actually make sense of something in your life. I experienced one of those events recently when my editor Bob Weir asked me to begin writing a monthly column for the newspaper.

    As I began to ponder what on earth I would write a monthly column ABOUT, I started sifting through memories and ended up way back in 1977 at Arlington Heights High School in Fort Worth, where I was also asked to write a column on a regular basis for the school newspaper. The name of that column was “People in Particular,” and each week I would find a student of interest and profile him/her. A couple that stand out in my mind was the very quiet kid that not many people knew, but it turned out he was oozing talent and played violin in a symphony orchestra. Then there was the ultra-cool popular kid who had a pet iguana and regularly walked the creature on a leash in the park.

    Among the many things I learned while writing that column was that everyone has a story. Sometimes it is evident, and other times it is hidden, but that truth has remained with me through the years. I think what I would like to do with this opportunity for a monthly column is to go back to my roots and profile different people in the community. Of course, I can’t do that without your help. So I’d like to ask you to look around, take the time to find out someone’s story, and let me in on it. I’d like to interview one local resident each month and share with our readers what makes them unique. Maybe they don’t play in a symphony orchestra or walk their pet iguana on a leash, but who knows WHAT we will find out!? You can e-mail those column ideas to me at michelle@thenewsconnection.com, and then start watching for profiles of your friends and neighbors in this spot once a month.

    So, for this very first column, I’... [Read More]