About The Eatonton messenger. (Eatonton, Ga.) 18??-current | View Entire Issue (June 12, 2025)
» Your hometown newspaper since 1861 The Eatonton Alessenger THURSDAY, JUNE 12, 2025 | C5 For Heaven's Sake Mike Morgan SOME FOLKS HAVE A FACEBOOK PAGE... I HAVE A ... HE’S REALLY INTO POSTING HIS OPINIONS ON SOCIAL )MEDIA. HAVE YOU READ THE MOST RECENT RANT &X FROM MR. HARDTIMES? Brent’s extraordinary father Brent’s birth, when he joined his sister, Laurie, and brother, Jay, on an Autumn day was joyous. Brent, looking straight into his mother’s eyes, smiled with an abun dance of sweetness. He was happy to meet the world that he would be his new home. Laurie and Jay, mesmerized by this tiny creature, gathered around, joining everyone’s great happiness. From the beginning, there was no jealousy. Just love. (Although they slyly planned the games they would play with him — such as kidnapped or hide and seek.) At last, Laurie and Jay could be on the same team, not warring against one another. Brent grew at a healthy pace and, by 16 months, he could walk, long past crawling, say a few words, and romp happily with his adoring siblings. One day, around the age of 18 months, he became sick. Then sicker. The doctor tried to counsel over the phone but finally, concluded, “Meet me at the emergency room.” The news was scary and uncertain as they checked through a possible list of diag noses. It turned out to be the worse one listed: “An inborn error of metabolism, pripionic acidemia, which left Brent in an arrested stage of a one year-old for the remainder of his life.” Milk had been the culprit. Brent’s words were lost, walking required assistance, and food was fed like a baby receiving his nourishment. His parents adored Brent as much as they did Brent’s older siblings. “As much care as Brent Ronda Rich Dixie Divas took - which was pretty much 24 hours a day — Laurie and I never suffered from a lack of attention,” Jay says. “They didn’t take from us to give to Brent. We all received similar attention and love. Mom and Dad were always at our ballgames and anywhere else we wanted them.” For decades, with Jay in our family, I remember how sweetly Dot and Johnny, Brent’s parents, looked after Brent. He was never treated like a baby but as a young adult who needed some help. In truth, he needed a great deal of assistance. Then came the news that brought us all to our knees. It started as something simple - these things always do - with Dot complaining of heart- burn on Mother’s Day. “I’ve had it for a couple of weeks,” she said, as she popped another Turns. Twenty-one days from diagnosis of pancre atic cancer, Dot, the sweetest, most remark- able woman any of us has ever encountered, passed gently into the arms of the Lord. Heaven, she had long relished. Leaving her child, who had depended on her like a baby for over 37 years, was not relish or relief. It was heartbreak. His father took charge. Johnny, though, stepped up and mimicked Dot as much as possible. He held Brent’s hand to lead him slowly into a ballgame, church, or bathroom. He prepared Brent’s favorite foods and fed him, gently cajoling him through every bite. Johnny didn’t begrudge one moment. He trea sured every second and prayed that Brent’s time on earth would be glori ously long. After all, he had already lived over two decades longer than doctors had predicted. In addition, Brent taught all of us, especially his siblings, nieces and nephews, how much non-verbal, non-com- municative people have to offer the rest of us. Thanks to Brent and the example of his parents, we all have a stronger dose of compassion, empathy, and under standing. His life was a gift to us all. When Brent, who had outlived predictions by a surprising number of years, died, there was no relief. Only bone-deep sorrow and harrowing heartbreak that clouded us for months. Brent never cussed or hated or was ever unkind. And his extraordinary father followed Brent’s mother and cared for him lovingly until Jesus welcomed him home and rejoined him with his mama within the gates of glory. Brent’s simple life made our complex lives so much better. We shall all be grateful to Johnny and Brent, always. Ronda Rich is the best- selling authors of the Stella Bankwell Series. Visit www.rondarich. com to sign up for her free weekly newsletter. 2 3 5 6 10 8 12 13 15 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 CLUES ACROSS 1. Racquet sports association 4. Places to sleep 8. Native American tribe 10. Small platforms 11. Egg shape 12. Running out 13. French painter 15. Some are "of the Caribbean" 16. Painful intestinal problem 17. More irritated 18. Prove yourself 21. Catch 22. Supplement with difficulty 23. American automotive giant 24. Form of "to be" 25. Boxing's GOAT 26. Peyton's little brother 27. Eli's big brother 34. Capable of producing SEE PUZZLE ANSWERS » PAGE B2 STARSTATION Ray CHarLes Were PLayINg your MUSIC Me SUpreMoS 35. Reproductive structures in fungi 36. Allowed to go forward 37. Smiles 38. Arteries 39. VVV 40. Win a series without losing a game 41. This (Spanish) 42. Opposites of beginnings 43. Germanic mythological god CLUES DOWN 1. Consisting of uncombined atoms 2. Island country 3. Heavenly body 4. Caribbean island 5. Copyread 6. A place to eat 7. Drops down 9. Native group of Alaska 10. Engage in Read breaking news online and subscribe to your hometown newspaper at www.msgrnews.com 12. "Desperate Housewives" lane 14. Thyroid-stimulating hormone 15. Foot (Latin) 17. A place to bathe 19. Animosities 20. Partner to cheese 23. Venus , plant 24. A donation 25. Pokes holes in the ground 26. Midway between northeast and east 27. Looked into 28. Not young 29. Annoy constantly 30. Something one can strike 31. Most glacial 32. Ten less than one hundred 33. Idle talker 34. Has moved through the air 36. Container for shipping 11706.485.3501 and ask to advertise on the Worship Page, today! SBYTERZ We are a Christ-centered, mission minded church with traditional worship eager to include you in our church family. GREENSBORO, GEORGIA Pastor Meg Jackson Clark Website - fpog.org Phone: 706-453-4956 a PC(USA) Church Sunday Scripture Study - 9:45 a.m. Sunday Worship Service - 11:00 a.m. First Presbyterian Church of Greensboro 117 South Main Street, Greensboro, Georgia (next to the Post Office in downtown Greensboro) Lake Oconee Lutheran Church A Stephen Ministry Congregation All Are Welcome Sunday Bible Study 9:00 a.m. Sunday Worship 10:30 a.m. Pastor Steven Hayden , .... 706-485-4600 Office LAKE OCONEE eT .. LUTHERAN CHURCH officelolc@gmail.com- ^ Iwww.lakeoconeelutheran.org] 1089 Lake Oconee Parkway (Hwy 44) Located behind the Lake Oconee Lutheran Community Center CHURCH Wednesdays Sundays: 5:15 p.m. - Family Night Supper 9:45 a.m. - Sunday School Children & Adult Bible Study 10:50 a.m. - Worship Dr. Craig Williamson, Pastor First Baptist Church 115 Madison Avenue • Eatonton, Ga 706.485.3331 www.FirstBaptistEatonton.org “I didn’t needto understand the hypostatic unity of the Trinity; I just needed to turn my Cife over to whoever came up with redwood trees.” — Anne Lamott Episcopal Church All Angels Episcopal Church 405 North Jefferson Avenue Eatonton, Georgia Holy Communion at ten on Sunday morning Eatonton First Methodist Church 103 West Magnolia Street, Eatonton, GA 31024 706-485-5871 www.eatontonfmc.com Pastor David Wofford Wednesday Night Activities Dinner starts at 5:30 p.m. with bible study at 6:30 p.m. Sunday 8:45 a.m. Traditional Worship in Historic Sanctuary 10.00 a.m. Sunday School 11:00 a.m. Casual Worship in Historic Sanctuary GLOBAL METHODIST CHURCH
