Tag Archives: Lauren Alston

A Beautiful Rose

Posted in LAF Post by

Our rose-bush didn’t bloom much this year… I don’t know why… I have never had rose bushes before.  We had just signed a contract to sell our home when Lauren passed away… we were planning to downsize and move out-of-town for a little while… but now we live here half the year in one of our rent houses… it has one lone, red rose-bush.  The first two years here we had bountiful, beautiful red roses on that bush… but this year only a few.   Some of the leaves turned yellow, with brown spots and started falling off…  I think it has a disease or bugs… it only bloomed a few roses.  I missed the color… the smell… and the beauty of those roses this year.  It made me think of the lovely poem that one of Lauren’s teachers wrote about her after her death.

wild red rose

March 21, 2010 

A Beautiful Rose

A seed was planted not so long ago that sprouted through the earth, welcoming herself into a new world. As her leaves developed her roots spread deep throughout the nurturing soil, gaining nutrition and a strong grip that would support her in life. She thrived on the sprinkling rains of love and kindness and endured the troublesome winds and heat as she grew. Through the years thorns formed that caused a few pricks of pain to those who loved and cared for her.

She always stood tall and straight as she stretched her branches to the sky reaching for her Master’s warmth and light. Soon buds formed that opened into a beautiful array of blooms that rejoiced her arrival into adulthood. Their beauty brought many smiles to those who passed by, some stopping to spend more time with her and enjoying the pleasures of her presence. She in turn nurtured many others with her sweet nectar of love for all.

Soon the Master Gardener decided to move her to a better spot in His heavenly kingdom. This way she could be surrounded by His angels and cared for in a special way. The hole that was made left a hole in our hearts, never to be completely filled. We will miss the beauty and radiance that she gave to us each day.

(I wrote this in my dreams last night. As I was finishing this Lauren came to me to say goodbye. I only really knew her for a semester at LHS when she was in my class, but she left an impact for life. My heart goes out to her family in this difficult time, but I know that she is now safely home. Thanks girl.)
~
James Schroeder,
Lufkin, Texas

A Satin Pillowcase

Posted in LAF Post by

A satin pillowcase… is one way I stay connected… to them both… Lauren and Mama Bea.

Mama Bea holding Lauren and her cousins... Jaymi, Megan, Steve and Jenna.

Mama Bea holding Lauren and her cousins… Jaymi, Megan, Steve and Jenna.

On June 16th I turned the big 5-0 this year… yes 50… half a century.  The year I was born, 1963, it was Father’s Day…as it was this year… so I am my Daddy’s girl.  But it is also special for another reason… it was Mama Bea’s birthday too… my sweet, petite Grandmother.  We had a special bond because of having the same birthday… I would say I was her favorite grandchild… but she loved us all… so the “others” might not agree with my statement… wellll… I’m sure they wouldn’t.

Mama Bea liked to sleep on satin pillowcases… she said it kept her hair from getting “mussed up”… because it caught on the cotton but slid on the satin.  She was from the generation that went to the beauty shop once a week and got her hair “washed and set”… so her hair style had to last until her appointment the next week.

Lauren and Mama Bea in 1998

Lauren and Mama Bea in 1998

When Mama Bea passed away in November of 2007… guess what Lauren wanted… one of her satin pillowcases… it was pale pink… and super soft from being washed many times.  Lauren loved and used that pillowcase nightly… she even took it with her when she traveled.  We went on a trip over the weekend to Bastrop for a family reunion… and of course the pillowcase was along for the ride.  When we left on Sunday afternoon… we hadn’t gotten very far down the road, maybe twenty miles, when she realized she had forgotten her pillow with the satin case.  She whipped out her phone and frantically called the hotel… to tell them how special it was to her and to please check the room and get it.  She then called her cousin Jaymi, who lived in town, to go save her pillow with Mama Bea’s satin case… she was upset and crying… until Jaymi called her back and said she had the prized possession in her hands.

I bought Lauren several more satin cases through the years… but she used Mama Bea’s the most and loved it the best.  I now use them… Lauren’s purple and Mama Bea’s pink satin cases… to feel close to them… to hug them… to remember… the shared feisty spirit of two women I love.

I wonder if they have satin pillowcases in Heaven…

I would give ANYTHING

Posted in LAF Post by

I would give ANYTHING

to hear her voice again

to hear her laughter

to get the excited phone call about her first “adult” job… after her college graduation

to hear the excitement in her voice as she told me… she had found “the One”

to go with her and watch her pick out… her perfect wedding dress

to see her proud dad walk her down the aisle

to hear her tell me… she is expecting her first child

to see that grandchild be born and her eyes shine… as she falls in love with that special gift

to see her grow into a beautiful, happy, loving, giving wife and mother

to hear her “fuss” about her 30th…40th…50th birthdays and beyond

to console her as her children leave the nest

I would give ANYTHING 

for another day with her

to hold her

to hug her

to see her smile

to tell her how much I loved her

I would give ANYTHING and EVERYTHING  

Lauren Pic by Saray

Kim Chong ~ LHS 2013

Posted in LAF Post by

LHS 2013 - Kim ChongSuzanne,  Kim Chong,  Bryan

On Monday night, May 6th, we got to meet Kim Chong who is the Lufkin High School 2013 scholarship recipient.  We had a great visit with her while waiting to have our picture made.  She is attending SFA and wants to be a nurse, like her Mom, or maybe something in hospital administration.  She helps out in the Nurse’s Office at school and really enjoys that and helping people.  She and Lauren had similar schooling, Kim attended a private catholic school until sixth grade and then moved into the public school, and Lauren attended a private christian school until eighth grade and then entered Lufkin High School.  Kim talked about that challenging transition and then, because she knew how that felt, helping other “new” kids who looked lost and needed a friend….Lauren did the same thing.

We got to meet Kim’s parents, little brother and grandmother.  They were all so friendly and appreciative of Kim receiving the scholarship.  We told them some about Lauren and how the scholarships came about…wanting to help others as Lauren did and the fact she received scholarships from LHS and SFA.  We asked Kim, as we do all recipients, to just please lend a helping hand to others along the way…and she said she sure would.   We enjoyed our time with Kim and her family and wish them all the best in the years to come.

Mallory Vipond ~ SFA 2012-13

Posted in LAF Post by
Suzanne Alston, Mallory Vipond and Bryan Alston

Suzanne Alston, Mallory Vipond and Bryan Alston

We enjoyed meeting Mallory Vipond who is the 2012-13 SFA Lauren Alston Memorial Scholarship recipient.  She is a lovely young woman who smiled frequently.  When we first met her my eyes went to her pretty face and then straight to her neck…yes, her neck.  Mallory had on the exact same James Avery cross that I wear everyday that was Lauren’s and she wore almost everyday too…and she had it on when she had her accident.  Mallory’s mom gave her the cross necklace when she graduated from high school…another God wink.

Mallory will be a Senior this fall and is leaning toward being an Event Planner but after taking some Hotel/Motel management classes she enjoyed…she is investigating that avenue also.  She is from New Braunfels and after visiting with her we found how much we have in common and that we might could have “run across” each other before.  We go to the New Braunfels area often and we all liked eating at some of the same restaurants…going to Gruene Hall to listen to live music… the same bands and local stores.  Mallory told us about going to interview at the SFA Alumni Association for a summer job and that they told her about Lauren and how the scholarship was started.  She had tears in her eyes as I told her about the matching James Avery cross we both wear.  I told her what a God wink was and how it confirmed we had picked the right recipient…her.  We told her to stay in touch and we wished her all the best life has to offer.

Paying it forward…In action

Posted in LAF Post by

  • We received several notes and messages from friends and family who performed Random Acts of Kindness (RAK) in memory of Lauren…they made us laugh… smile… and they warmed our heart.  Every single act, be it big or small, can have a huge impact on someone’s day or even life…and maybe even yours too.        

    Shelby Portwood and Lauren

    Shelby and Lauren

    A sweet note I received from a good friend of Lauren’s…Shelby Portwood.

    * I have to tell you about how special and wonderful your daughter is.  Yesterday, I was trying to think of an awesome random act of kindness, and all day I just couldn’t decide what to do.  I had a massage scheduled and just decided that I would leave the masseuse a nice tip.  A few hours later I was sitting at the bar, in the restaurant that I work at, when out of the blue the masseuse and his wife came in and had dinner.  My friend/co-worker waited on them; she’s a single mom of two who works two jobs.  She came over later to tell me about this nice couple who left her an awesome tip, just when she needed it.  Paying it forward, in action.  I know a lot of sadness comes from not having her physically here, but I believe, wholeheartedly, that her spirit and her kindness can still touch even those who didn’t get the chance to meet her.*

    Some of the posts I received on RAK’s done in Lauren’s memory are:

    Roy A.  ~ I sent cards to cheer some suffering folks!!! Love u Suz!! and Bryan

    Ben O.  ~ I’m taking my class on a charity walk today to benefit victims of the earthquake in China…and the sun is shining!

    *Ben is a 1st cousin to Lauren, who is a teacher living in Hong Kong, and he also participated in Outward Bound Adventure Race…a test of brains and brawn, where the participants ran, swam, kayaked and answered quick-fired questions…on the 15-19 km race around Hong Kong Island.  Monies raised are used to help underprivileged groups take part in outdoor and adventure programs.  Ben said…”I ran faster…for Lauren”.                          

    Ben Owens in Outward Bound Adventure Race 2013

     Ben is on the far right… “006B”

    John J.  ~ Giving Heaven booklet to several recent grieving family members.

    Andrea W.  ~ Left pennies last night at the horse, sent a surprise to Georgia for Chase, and working on another one right now.
    *Andrea is a 2nd cousin to Lauren, who lives in Colorado, and for several years now she and her sweet daughter, Lianna, randomly leave pennies at the supermarket “horse ride” so other children can ride for free…imagine those kiddos squeals at finding pennies for a free ride on the horse…makes me smile…what a fun RAK….wish we had penny horses in Texas.

    Andrea, Kevin & Lianna
    Please send me a message when you perform a RAK in Lauren’s memory…we would love to hear the “who, where and why” of your act.  Thank you for continuing Lauren’s legacy of reaching out to others.

Random Acts of Kindness

Posted in LAF Post by

Yesterday was the 3 year anniversary of her physical death…and I chose to celebrate her life…I chose to not let the sadness of the day suck me under…to the dark waters…I chose not to spend my day mourning and crying…I do that enough already.  I wanted it to be a day of smiles…laughter… and Random Acts of Kindness….aka: RAK’s…I wanted to make others smile…and laugh…so I could…and hopefully Lauren would too.

I started my day by thinking of Lauren and what she loved…what made her happy…made her smile.  Lauren enjoyed older folks…she was good with them…listening to their stories…playing games with them.  Some people have a gift for that…the patience…the understanding…the knowledge of when to listen and when to make them laugh.  So my first RAK was to buy some single, long stem roses…I wanted to share the beauty of the roses…the beauty of my rose.  I took a dozen yellow…a dozen pink and white…to a local nursing home.  As I went through the front door…right there…waiting…was a little, gray-haired woman in a wheelchair.  She said “Oh what beautiful roses you have”…and I said “Yes ma’am they sure are”…I pulled 1 yellow rose from the bunch and handed it to her saying…”This is for you…have a beautiful day…from Lauren”…her face lite up…she smelled it… and she thanked me profusely.  That was enough for me…that face…that smile.  I took the rest to the nurses station and asked them to please pass them out to anyone who needed their spirits lifted today…she said they would be happy to.  I didn’t explain why…I didn’t tell…I didn’t want it to be about my sadness…  my loss…but about Lauren’s smile and beauty…I also didn’t want the recipient to feel sadness for my loss…only the happiness and joy of getting a beautiful flower.  I didn’t have to see the end results…of the 23 others who received a rose…it lifted my heart…made me smile…to see that one and know it was multiplied.

Lauren loved animals…and we have always had a pet…usually a dog…usually two at a time…lol.  While she was at college…living on her own…she missed have a pet…someone to snuggle and play with.  One house she lived in with 2 other girls…one of them had a cat.  Now Lauren was allergic to cats…but she wasn’t gonna let that stop her from moving in…she said she would just keep her bedroom door shut and the cat out.  Well…that didn’t last long…she couldnt take it and the cat couldn’t either…he snuck in or forced his way in…to her room and her heart.  It was a kinky- haired cat that was supposed to be non-allergenic…and soon he was sleeping in her room…on her bed…on her clothes on the floor.  She loved it…she had a furry pet friend again.  Lauren had just moved out of that house the week before she died…she moved in with her grandparents to save some money before graduating…and Cosmo…yes, that was is name…Cosmo missed her terribly…keep looking for her…going in her room…meowing.   So my second RAK was to take a huge bag of dog food and cat food to the local animal shelter.

My third RAK…I took an apple pie to the front office of the RV park we stay in while we spend our 6 months a year in Fredericksburg.  They had been so kind to us…sending a beautiful plant..when they heard the news of her death…even though we had only just started staying there…and they didn’t know her.  I’m sure they didn’t know what the day was…but I wanted to make them smile…with a piece of apple pie…so I left it in the break room for all to enjoy.

My last RAK is still in progress…it’s a roll of pennies.  I plan to leave them in places…when I “feel the need”…maybe on the pavement…on a counter…on the floor.  You see I hope it will be the “penny from Heaven” that someone needs that day…whether it ends up being the “one” they needed when checking out at the store…or the “one” that is a sign from their loved one who has gone on before them…that they are loved.  I remember one day talking with my friend…who is also my nail tech and was giving me a manicure…about Lauren and her life…because she knew her too.  I was telling her about the “God winks” I had been getting and told her they were kinda like “pennies from Heaven”.  I can’t remember for sure if she had heard of that phrase before…but I told her the meaning behind the words.  We continued to laugh…and cry… talking about Lauren…and when I left and got to my car…there were 2 pennies on the running board of my car.  There was no “reason” for them to be there…and no one, who had been in hearing distance of us…had left the salon.  I started crying again…and had to go back in and show Kristal what I had found…”pennies from Heaven”…one for her…one for me.

RAK’s don’t have to cost you any money….just a little time….it’s the thought of others that counts.  It could be a smile for someone…a head nodded  in acknowledgment…holding a door open…letting someone go ahead of you in a checkout line…a phone call to check on a friend…a handwritten thank you note to a teacher…it can only cost us just a little time…to make someone smile…laugh…or feel better.  A little kindness goes a long way…it’s healing…it’s heartwarming…it’s happiness… for them…and it sure was for me…I was able to laugh…to smile…to have a happier heart.

1,577,440 Minutes

Posted in LAF Post by

30 Years

360 Months

10,957 Days

262,974 Hours

1,577,440 Minutes 

That is how long we have been married…today.  

Who could have known what all we would go through during that time.  

Where we have gone…the things we have seen…done…experienced.  The people we have met…friendships we have made.  The places we have explored…mountains we have climbed.

 The two beautiful…loving…children we were blessed with.

 The loss we have endured…

 Love is not as simple and sweet as candlelight, roses and chocolate…

 Love is day-to-day living…taking the time to be there with open arms…a listening ear…a giving heart…

 With everything we have been through in the past 30 years…the good and the bad…the only thing I would change would be losing our daughter.  

Love bears all things… Believes all things… Hopes all things… Endures all things.  I Corinthians 13:4-8

i-cor-13_4-8

Update on Lauren Lognion

Posted in LAF Post by

I wanted to give you an update on Lauren Lognion…one of our Love, Action, Faith Scholarship Recipients.  She is about half way through her 11 month journey to 11 different countries.  She has been to Malaysia, Australia, Vietnam, Cambodia and is in India right now.   She has had many new life experiences and gotten to meet the “locals”…learn their cultures and ways…while she gets to show the love of Christ in different forms.  She has taught English to children at night, subbed in a Christian School during the day, worked in a coffee shop…where she was able to be meet the locals and share when God presented the opportunity.  In Australia she preformed community service by daily picking up trash in the community and held bible studies, worship services and sing alongs at night with the aboriginals and so many more unique life experiences.  She, and the team she is with on The World Race, are giving 11 months of service… an opportunity of a lifetime…with lessons on community service and love in action.  We think she and this trip represent what this particular scholarship was intended for.  In her thank you note she said she was going to carry our Lauren’s beautiful smile and love to all she meets…and we are honored for her to do so.

Below you will see one of her latest posts from her journey.

Lauren LognionLauren is on the right… in the purple shirt.

Stuck!

Posted in General Posts by Lauren Lognion on 1/15/2013

 I am in INDIA. It is month five of the race and starting to set in… Im away. Away from family, friends, target, the gap, comfort food.. Anything I would normally do when bored has been removed. Our internet access is very limited and going for a run is not an option. (unless I want to run with one of the men from my team and in pants.) All that being said.. it is worth it. Im a planner, always have been. Always wanting to know the next step to take and don’t want to waste anytime getting there. So as God continues to make my love and passion for the children and youth in America more and more clear I find myself wondering why wait until I return in August to begin. Why am I still here? on the race.. traveling around the world, when I could be back in the states working with the youth? I am almost 24 and no where near reaching any of the “goals” I had set for myself. What am I doing? I am Stuck! and God said.. yep! That is exactly right! You are stuck and finally sitting still. You, Lauren, don’t have the answers, you don’t even know all the questions to ask, and that’s exactly where you should be. “Be Still and know that I am God” As badly as I would like to skip ahead and get to the next step, start working and begin, God has me exactly where he wants me. It is uncomfortable and confusing but because I cant answer the questions I find myself going to Him even more. So this month on the race has been hard and not because of the squatty potties and bucket showers but because that control Ive talked about giving up for so long.. is gone. I have spent more time than ever listening to God and allowing him to be my teacher and comforter. This race is one unique journey and I am blessed to have such a patient God walk along side with me and point me in the right direction when I find myself stuck.

New Year’s Prayer

Posted in LAF Post by

A New Year’s Prayer

Dear Lord, please give me 
A few friends who understand me and remain my friends; 
A work to do which has real value, 
without which the world would be the poorer; 
A mind unafraid to travel, even though the trail be not blazed; 
An understanding heart; 
A sense of humor; 
Time for quiet, silent meditation; 
A feeling of the presence of God; 
The patience to wait for the coming of these things, 
With the wisdom to recognize them when they come. 
Amen. 

Author Unknown

We want to wish you all a Happy New Year.  May God continue to bless you and your family with good health, an abundance of love and precious time with your family and friends.

Thank you for being a part of our lives, for your love, your prayers and for your support in continuing Lauren’s legacy of helping others.