February 22, 1937

Seventy-four years ago today, God gave the world an extraordinary gift - Patricia Christeen O'Halloran. He loaded her with talents and abilities, and then throughout her life He taught her how to hone these talents and develop her abilities and share them with others. I was thinking the other day about how she lives on through her children, each clearly inheriting certain characteristics of her person.

Deborah Joy, you have her hands. Hands that help carry the load of all and sundry, strong hands that administer healing and nurture and comfort. And your hands also know how simply to hold the hand of another and reassure him or her that someone is there, that someone cares.

BA, you have her voice. I was listening to you reading a passage last Wednesday in the TH and you read it with exactly the same expression and feeling she would have. You shriek excitedly at sporting events like she did. You also do not hesitate to speak up for justice, for the underrepresented.

Cathryn, you have her artistry. You paint and write and dance with passion. Your art, like hers, seeks to uncover the mystery, to understand the meaning, and you have the ability to translate the inner workings of the heart into outward manifestations of beauty and grace.

Allan, you have her capacity for deep friendship. Like her, you never meet a stranger. People are drawn to you as they were to her. You care profoundly for people and do your best to be a blessing wherever you go, in whatever way you can.

Bronwyn, you have her beautiful brown eyes, eyes that discover the good in people, that discover avenues for ministry. Eyes that weep with those who weep and sparkle with joy when there is rejoicing. Eyes conveying glimpses into an abundant soul.

I was given her gift of music. My first music lessons were on her lap. One of the last things she did with me in her hospital room was teach me one more hymn. And with the music she provided me an avenue for solace, for both myself and others. 

All of these gifts have the power to continue blessing others because Dad, you have her heart. After she gave it to God, He let her give it to you. Because you were able to fill her heart and her days with love, she was able - that heart overflowing with gratitude - to love almost everyone with whom she came into contact.

And because, like 1 Corinthians 13 says, without love everything else is for naught.

The greatest of all of her gifts was love.