A6
COMMUNITY
East Oregonian
Healing the heart
SARAH
HAUG
LIGHT OF UNIT Y
W
e recently
visited Wales
for first time
in over two years. I write
novels, and this was a
research trip. Mostly. It
was also a bit of a pilgrim-
age, because it was our
first trip since my moth-
er’s death.
I’ve written quite a lot
about her in this column.
Obviously, I’m “still”
grieving, even as I know
there’s no “still” about it.
I have read that grief is
like a soundtrack playing
in your head. Most of the
time you can barely hear
it, but then sometimes the
volume gets turned up
loud, often when you least
expect it.
During her last trip
with us, we visited a
number of medieval
churches, established as
early as the fifth century
during what is known
in Wales as the “Age of
Saints.” Healing wells
are often associated with
these churches, the last
desperate hope of the ill.
Healing wells have never
been part of our religious
tradition, my mother’s
nor mine, but we felt the
peace of them, heartfelt
evidence of a spiritual
unity that is a core tenet of
the Baha’i Faith.
In 2018, after my
mother was newly diag-
nosed with metastatic
breast cancer and doing
chemo, I’d brought home
water for her from the
well of St. Gwenffrewi.
When the next PET scan
after she drank the water
showed her cancer to
have receded, she and
I laughed, in joy and
relief—and could under-
stand why people once
believed in the power of
water from a healing well.
By May of 2019,
although her cancer had
taken a turn for the worse,
my mother was well
enough (and determined
enough) to travel with us.
We had an amazing two
weeks in Wales. And on
the last day, we visited St.
Gwenffrewi’s well.
It was closed, the water
in the well undrinkable.
I knew my mother
well enough to know that,
even as she brushed off
her disappointment as
not important, it felt like
she’d been slapped in the
face, and that the answer
to our request for healing
was a very frank, “No.”
We weren’t going to get a
second miracle.
This year, St. Gwenf-
frewi’s well wasn’t even
on our agenda, but on
our last day in Wales we
drove by it ... and I burst
into tears. Silently, my
husband pulled over the
car and sent me inside
alone.
This time I filled two
bottles, one for me and
one for my sister, to drink
together in our mother’s
memory. It was a differ-
ent kind of healing I was
looking for this time—of
spirit, rather than of body.
While the soundtrack
is just as loud as before,
maybe I’m hearing less
grief these days than joy.
———
Sarah Haug is a member
of the Baha’i Faith and has
called Pendleton home
since 2002. You can find
her most days walking
on the riverwalk with her
husband, Dan.
PLEASE RECYCLE THIS PAPER
11/19/2021
Thursday, November 18, 2021
COMMUNITY BRIEFS
Thanksgiving
Day race trots for
Made to Thrive
PENDLETON — The
public is invited to trot off
some of their holiday calo-
ries during a run/walk on
Thanksgiving Day.
In its ninth year, the race
is changing venues. Previ-
ously held in Echo, the Club
24 Turkey Trot starts Thurs-
day, Nov. 25, 9 a.m. at Club
24, 1845 Westgate, Pend-
leton. The event features
a marked course along the
Pendleton River Parkway. An
untimed fun event, it includes
distances of 1 mile, 5K and
10K.
Participants are encour-
aged to jump start the fun by
dressing in costumes. Also,
well-behaved dogs on leashes
are welcome.
Profits from the Turkey
Trot will be donated to Made
to Thrive, a nonprofit organi-
zation serving at-risk youths
in Umatilla and Morrow
counties. Registration is $15
for adults and $10 for youths.
To register or for addi-
tional information, visit bit.
ly/3n1odq4. For questions,
call 509-783-1037.
Good Shepherd
hosts vaccine clinics
HER MISTON
—
Good Shepherd Health
Care System is offering
free COVID-19 vaccines,
including the initial series
and booster doses. Patients
should bring vaccination
cards, if applicable.
No appointment is neces-
sary: Friday, Nov. 19, 7 a.m.
to noon; and Monday, Nov.
22, 2:30-7 p.m. The vaccines
will be administered in the
hospital’s Conference Center
1 and 2, at 610 N.W. 11th St.,
Hermiston. Required moni-
toring after vaccine admin-
istration is 15 minutes.
Good Shepherd has the
Moderna and Johnson &
Johnson vaccines, both
authorized for those 18 and
older; and the Pfizer vaccine,
for those 12 and older. Good
Kathy Aney/East Oregonian, File
A runner dressed as a turkey participates in the 2019 Turkey
Trot on Thanksgiving Day in Echo. This year’s Thursday, Nov.
25, 2021, fun run/walk will start at Pendleton’s Club 24 and
features marked courses along the Pendleton River Parkway.
Shepherd is not providing the
Pfizer vaccine for 5-11 year
olds at these clinics. In accor-
dance with Oregon Law,
patients 15 and older can
self-consent for the vaccine.
For ages 12-14, a parent or
guardian must be present.
For more information,
call the vaccination hotline
at 541-667-3426, visit www.
gshealth.org/coronavirus or
search www.facebook.com/
gshcsnews.
Estate sale
features items
from former VFW
HER MISTON — A
defunct post estate sale will
feature a variety of items
from the former Veterans of
Foreign Wars Post in Herm-
iston.
The sale is Saturday, Nov.
20, and Sunday, Nov. 21, both
days from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
The event will be at the old
VFW Hall, 45 W. Cherry
Ave., Hermiston.
Items available for
purchase include folding
tables, stackable chairs,
monitors, wall decorations,
a safe, a 40-foot Conex
container, American flags,
Bradford Exchange eagles,
office chairs, electric roasters
and more. In addition, there
is a Bingo King machine and
board, and a variety of bingo
supplies, including daubers
and bingo game sheets.
Photos of items can be
viewed at www.facebook.
com/oregonvfw. For ques-
tions, contact 503-255-5808
or orvfwhq@gmail.com.
Echo church serves
holiday meal
ECHO — Everyone is
invited to a Thanksgiving
meal hosted by the Echo
Community Church.
The free dinner is Satur-
day, Nov. 20, 12:30-2:30 p.m.
at the church, 21 N. Bonanza
St., Echo. People do not have
to attend the church to enjoy
the fellowship and food at the
community meal. For more
information, call 541-571-
4419.
Local hospice
offers holiday
grief support
WALLA WALLA — A
virtual holiday grief support
program is being facilitated
by Walla Walla Community
Hospice.
The free event is open to
any adult who has suffered
the death of a loved one.
Participants can join the
discussion and learn strate-
gies to utilize in facing the
holiday season while expe-
riencing grief. The session
will include members of the
Hospice Bereavement Team,
consisting of staff social
workers and spiritual support
counselors.
Holiday Grief Support is
Sunday, Nov. 21, 1-3 p.m. An
RSVP is required to obtain
the Zoom connection infor-
mation. For more informa-
tion or to register, contact
509-525-5561, info@wwhos-
pice.org, visit www.wwhos-
pice.org or search www.
facebook.com/wallawalla-
hospice.
UCF extends fair
court application
deadline
HERMISTON — The
Umatilla County Fair has
extended the deadline to
apply for the 2022 Umatilla
County Fair court. The appli-
cation deadline is Monday,
Nov. 22, by 9 a.m.
Participating on the fair
court offers young people
an opportunity to represent
Umatilla County not only
during fair week in August
but at parades and other
events throughout Eastern
Oregon and Washington in
2022. The program is open
to Umatilla County students
in ninth through 12th grade.
Participation provides a fun
way to develop confidence
and build relationships with
other county residents.
Applications are available
via www.umatillacountyfair.
net or at the fair office at the
Eastern Oregon Trade and
Event Center, 1705 E. Airport
Road, Hermiston. For ques-
tions, call 541-567-6121 or
email fair@umatillacounty.
net.
— EO Media Group
11/19/2021
Mention code: 21NovWanted