Will-Forever in my heart

Week's end and Rd RE-DESIGNS, Inc.

This week, Kitty and Lynn, our cousins from Florida, came over for dinner and a visit while in town. We had a fun time. Aly, our chef, made a wonderful meal of Parmesan Crusted Chicken Breasts with Tomato and Basil pasta all with the freshest of ingredients. I am looking forward to this weekend in the Sierra Foothills. My brother, Bob, makes beautiful furniture, candle holders,fruit trays, etc. from wine barrels. The name of his company is Rd RE_DESIGNS, INC. to order, contact him at 831.706.6786 or robertdixon158@comcast.net. What a fine artist and brother is he.

Pictures from Will's 1st Anniversary rite

1st Anniversary Week

This week is the week of Will's departure from earth. On Sunday, there was a 1st anniversary rite at St. Bede's in Jarrow Garden. It was a beautiful tribute to Will. Alex Braelow and Aly read the readings. It was excellent to be with dear family and friends. We love you and thank you for keeping us close. Luke Norman and his younger sisters contributed the 11 good things about Will.

1. He played with us and organized games at church camp.
2. He was funny and liked to play tricks and pranks.
3. He told us fun stories.
4. He had a fun family and friends.
5. He was fun to watch wrestle and rough house with my brother, Jake.
6. It was fun to play with him after prayers.
7. He was always happy.
8. He was sweet and helpful with Sunday school.
9. He played good guys and bad guys with flashlights with us.
10. He played Simon Says with us.
11. He was helpful in the nursery.

After the brief but moving service in Jarrow Garden, in which we were asked to share our thoughts on our hopes for Will and what we've learned in the past year, about 10 of St. Bede's youth and their friends gathered for fellowship and pizza in the Ford Room, with John Wenstrand as mentor.

Today, October 19, I am sitting looking at beautiful pictures of Will with candles lit in his honor remembering all that we shared together as a family. Janet Dickens

October by Jeanne Cooper-St, Bede's Youth Leader

The beauty of the return of our sunny fall days with cool crisp days is tempered by the memory that on such a day last year, we lost one of our treasured youth group members, Will Dickens. A 16-year-old Gunn High School student, Will had been serving as a St. Bede's Sunday School assistant and helping his parents, Janet Dixon-Dickens and Richard Dickens, and sister Alison with our coffee hours when he wasn't busy with water polo and other school activities.

His tragic death took all of us in his parish and school community by surprise, as so many noted at the overflowing memorial service held later that month. He will continue to be remembered at St. Bede's in several ways: * through the tranquility of the garden close erected in his name, next to the parish office; * through the bright flowers that bloom over his ashes in Jarrow Memorial Garden, where his soul and others' will be recalled on our annual Sunday after All Saints observance on Nov. 7; * through the private remembrances of his beloved family and friends, one of whom, Alex Braelow, joined Alison on our last service trip to Rosebud, S.D. * and through the reflections shared on Love, Loss and Healing, a blog created by Janet where friends, families and and parish members can comment on Will's life and impact on us. The Web address is http://lifelonglearning-l-cubed.blogspot.com/ (there'll also be a link to it on the St. Bede's Web site.)

It's painful to note that Will was not the first Bay Area student to die in such devastating circumstances, nor the last. So it's important to remember that all our youth group members need our care and support as they journey to independence in a complex and often fragmented world. It might also be helpful to be aware of the suicide prevention protocol called QPR -- "question, persuade, refer" -- recently taught to the staff and teachers in the Mountain View-Los Altos Union High School District . According an article about the training in the Mountain View Voice, "Students who contemplate killing themselves often feel pressured, depressed, overwhelmed or hopeless and very often suffer from a form of mental illness such as bipolar disorder or psychosis." But they may exhibit few of the classic warning signs: loss of interest in favorite activities, school or jobs; withdrawal; changes in eating and hygiene habits; declining grades; risk-taking behaviors and talking about dying. Some signs may be more subtle: giving away important possessions, showing extreme cheerfulness after depression, expressing bizarre or unsettling thoughts. When any warning sign is detected, the QPR protocol involves asking students if they are depressed and are considering suicide, attempting to persuade them against ending their lives and referring students to a qualified mental health official. As the www.teensuicide.us Web site notes, "In many cases, teens don’t know how to deal with their feelings and problems and are looking for someone to help them find assistance. Acknowledging these warning signs and seeking help for the problem, and offering support to a teenager who is working through his or her issues is very important, and can help prevent suicide." Here at St. Bede's, we can encourage our youth to connect with their community and one another in service and fellowship, to share our joys and sorrows openly with one another, and God, and to know they are never alone or without help. Our youth program year begins this month with a group outing to (and critical discussion of) the new movie "The Social Network" on Oct. 1 and a picnic trip to Bede's Bog on Oct. 23 for environmental stewardship. Every Sunday you'll also see youth serving as acolytes or Sunday School assistants, or joining you in the pews. Please take the time to let them know how much we appreciate their sharing of themselves with us. -- Jeanne

Animals Know and Grieve-Will's cat Norah

Sunrise/Sunset-Lincoln

Sunrise and Sunset at our new home in Lincoln

We are enjoying Lincoln, CA. This weekend spectacular sunrises and sunsets. I feel God's and Will's presence in the nature and beauty that surrounds us. So peaceful, so serene. I read the Youth Group article in the October Bede's journal. Thank you Jeanne for keeping Will's story and what has happened since alive-I am doing all that I can with the energy that I have to help change the teen culture of disrespecting peers and not supporting/helping each other. Jeanne does an excellent job reminding us to join each other in support of youth. On November 6 at the Cubberly Theater in Palo Alto from 7-9 pm, a youth driven artistic event will be held for youth to express how they are healing from the tragedies and supporting each other. When the Facebook link is available, I will post it this week. Janet Dickens