Walking on Sunshine

By Suzy Harrison Ward

Walking on Sunshine, is a culmination of humor, philosophy, poetry and a little bit of Celtic folklore to keep you reading the next true experience, told in story form by Suzy Harrison Ward. She writes her stories as if she were sitting across from you in front of a cozy Michigan fire with warmth and passion for her creation.
Suzys original inspiration for putting her tales into writing came from memories of her cousin Larry, who was brain damaged at birth. This poignant story sets the stage for further curiosity, with titles such as The Woman in the Purple Hat, Believe it or Not, and Alligator Jambalaya.
Stirring and luminous, Walking on Sunshine is a world unto itself, where ordinary people meet fanciful folly and cross history with memories, for your reading enjoyment.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris US
• Release date: Aug 5, 2013
• ISBN: 9781483658926

Suzy Harrison Ward

Suzy Harrison Ward was born in Indiana, and raised thru out the Midwest, where many of her true tales and experiences began. She graduated in Education, from the University of Michigan in 1969, and joined her husband in Germany for two years, collecting more stories along the way After returning from Germany, Suzy began teaching grade school at Warren Consolidated Schools, in Warren, Michigan, and coaching the synchronized swim team for the high school. Just for the summer, she and her husband headed West, in a green Bronco with a canoe on top, destination Oregon. Her two children were born in Portland, and Oregon has remained her home, since 1972. Suzy had her first writer’s inspiration at 2:00 a.m. in Florida, 2012 working from a small Acer notebook computer. It was there that she knew that she had more stories to tell. And she kept on writing. Two more books of fascinating stories are in the making. Look forward to reading, Walking on Sacred Ground, and Walking with Pets and Their People.

Book preview

Copyright © 2013 by Suzy Harrison Ward.

Library of Congress Control Number:   2013911379

ISBN:      Hardcover      978-1-4836-5891-9

                Softcover      978-1-4836-5890-2

              Ebook         978-1-4836-5892-6

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

Rev. date: 07/31/2013

To order additional copies of this book, contact:

Xlibris LLC

1-888-795-4274

www.Xlibris.com

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Contents

Chapter One          Larry

Chapter Two          Believe It or Not

Chapter Three          Alligator Jambalaya

Chapter Four          The Woman in the Purple Hat

Chapter Five          Spaces In Between

Chapter Six             Living Synergistically Being in Synchronicity

Chapter Seven          A Rose with No Thorns

Chapter Eight          Standing On A Soap Box Derby

Chapter Nine          Captain John F. Ward, United States Army Aircorp Aviation Devotee

Chapter Ten          Angels We Have Heard on Low

More Good Reading

dedication.jpg

Dedication

Dedicated to my parents John and Winnie Ward,

and to Larry Rector, my cousin whose inspiration prepared me for a lifetime of service to people

with disabilities.

Chapter One

Larry

A yellow, bright sun beamed upon the cabin on this beautiful crisp fall day in Michigan, waking up Mae, Linda and me up as we prepared to drive to Midland to see my cousin Larry. His nickname was Bear, and he lived only fifteen miles away. I hadn’t seen him since 1955 when he was twelve and I was eight years old.

Larry moved from his home and family to be enrolled in a State institution for boys and girls with mental retardation. Being sent to an institution was a common choice at that time when little or no other education and support for parents were available for the families. Parents were torn, and others were relieved, when keeping such a child at home was too difficult to manage.

I remember that I was confused and sad because I couldn’t play with my cousin. There was an empty space inside me where Larry’s essence had been. I would not see him again until he was 60 and peacefully living in his group home. I could not comprehend, that my early childhood with Larry and our subsequent separation would have such a great impact on my adult life. One that would carry over to many aspects of my life and decisions that I would make.

Larry was born with brain damage leaving him with severe mental retardation. A term the medical community indicating his mental functioning in 1943. As a child he learned to walk, play and communicate in his own way. He liked to interact with me and didn’t let his his drooling and slow gait interrupt our play time. This crucial and formative time of my life became the foundation to receive many more colorful experiences, being with and knowing people with special needs. Throughout my life, just by their presence, my special friends provided me a brush of bright color on my life-canvas making acceptance and non-judgment the neutral stabilizer.

When Larry and I were children, we played in my basement in Niles, Michigan. Converted into a Kindergarten schoolroom, my mother taught many young and wiggly children including my sister Sally and I, how to play with meaning and learning at the same time. We became Kindergarten junkies even after we started public school education.

The room was equipped with painting easels and a water table with miniature sail boats for conquering the waves. Larry and I looked at brightly colored books and played on the carpet, pretending we were Superman and Peter Pan, capes and all. Larry would make a variety of noises from his throat, each sound with a particular meaning. We even had our own sign language and I always knew when he wanted chocolate milk.

For Christmas one year, Aunt Ardyce helped my cousin pick out a metal toy car for me. It had wheels that turned and a light that blinked and a sound that whirred. The colorful car traveled across the carpet, the sound of our belly laughter filling the room. We entertained ourselves for what seemed like hours. It felt like a blanket of goodness was spread over our space, keeping us safe and happy.

At age 60, Larry’s residential living home had provided him with loving care for the later years in his life.

The residents of the group home were waiting in their clean and cheerful living room, when Mae, my best friend since high school, Linda, my bubbly-fun cousin and I arrived. Larry was in his wheelchair holding his worn and tattered summer sandal’s in either hand, clapping them together in excitement. Everyone in the house treated us to a joyful welcome.

Larry’s face reminded me of my Uncle Pat, who was a brilliant engineer who worked for DOW Chemical. Two minds: Uncle Pat with a genius I.Q., was a scientist, family man and community contributor.

His first son Larry was probably below 40 I.Q. He became a

precious and contributing member of his world as well.

Larry and I were outside in the warm autumn sun in Midland, Michigan. I was pushing his wheelchair which seemed so light to handle. His long and skinny