Dozier Family Letter- 2008

Silence

O earth, be silent.
Cease your din. Listen. Hear! 'Tis
the cry of a Babe.



Dozier Family
Christmas Letter 2008

On October 24, 2008, my Dad (Gordon Dozier, Sr. known as "Dyda") passed away in the manner in which he lived: quietly, peacefully and surrounded by loving family. A few months before he died, I asked him if he had any regrets during his 93 years of life. He said, "I've had a wonderful life. If I had to do it over again, I wouldn't change a thing. I have no regrets." Would that we could all say the same.

Gordon and Eva: In August, Eva and I moved to our new home at 15 Village by the Lake, So. Pines, NC 28387. Eva is still in Infection Control at Scotland Memorial Hospital and I am still p/t parish bookkeeper. VBL is a retirement community. No noise allowed. That means no "motorcycles." However, they gave me a dispensation as long as I keep mine out of sight! I enjoy blogging. Check mine out at Dad2eight.blogspot.com . Eva's hobby is spoiling her grandchildren. She takes off every Friday so that she can spend time with them.

Gordon, III and Karen (Daniel, Alex and Katie): Gordon's family moved to Pinehurst last spring and is renting our former home. The Hartford allows him to work from home. He was ordained to the diaconate in the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church last June. He serves at his parish in Raleigh, and is holding Typica services (Communion service) at a chapel he made in his home. Karen is teaching Pre-K at the parish school, JPII Catholic School. Daniel is home schooled and works at Chick-fil-A, Alex is at Pinehurst High School and works p/t at the Gulley Gdn. Cntr. and Katie is at JPII School.

Kristi and Jonathan Bernstein (Jack and Eva): Kristi is working in fund raising for the YMCA in Dallas. Jon is still at American Airlines. Jack is in Kindergarten. Little Eva had a large neuroblastoma tumor removed in February. In October a recurrence necessitated 4 rounds of chemo. The tumor has shrunk by 95%!! She is such a trooper and never let this slow her down. Please pray for Little Eva. You can follow Kristi's adventures as wife and mother at her blog: goodnightmom.blogspot.com

Jonathan: (Jonathan and Jacob): Jay has had his final interview in Atlanta with Chick-fil-A. It is likely he will be getting his own store in the spring. At present we do not know where that will be, but he is getting his home ready to sell. His fiancé, Boo Yung, just got her BSN from UNC-G and will be visiting her family in Korea for a few months while Jay finds out where he will be located. His two boys will be visiting for Christmas. Jonathan (15) will now be living with Jay.

Angel and Graham Gulley (Hannah, Claire, Davis): The great news for Angel and Graham is that they are expecting #4 in June. They have chosen to be surprised about the sex of the child until delivery. Graham runs marathons. Angels runs mini-marathons, works part-time at the Gulley Garden Center and seems to run unending carpools. Hannah and Claire are at JPII School and Davis runs the house.

Benjamin (Loralei) Ben is in the nursing program at Sandhills Community College. He has about 18 months left and is living with us while he is a student. His great sadness is that his daughter lives in Indiana. His hobby is collecting DVD's, which he lends to all of the family. His collection is so extensive that we say we are going to get a DVD from "Benbuster."

Nathaniel and Vanessa: Nathaniel and Vanessa are living in Greensboro. He blogs occasionally at quidquidlatinedictumsitaltumviditur.blogspot.com (As he notes, anything in Latin sounds intelligent.) He is working at the Double Tree Hotel as the night auditor. He and Vanessa are expecting the arrival of little James Nathan Dozier at any moment.

John-Paul: JP is a student at UNC-Asheville. Uncharacteristically for a Dozier, he is a Math Major. He wants to be a teacher and I think he would make a good one. His hobbies include computer gaming and war gaming as part of the UNC-A Air soft team. This evidently is a big thing and his team has won several events.

Mary B: MB is in her second year at UNC-Greensboro. She is in the Hospitality Management program. Mary wants to go into the Air Force and is working to that end. MB just turned 21. As one of her siblings observed, she can now do legally what she has been doing anyway since she was 16. Her Christmas break will be spent in Boston, at home and then…London (as in England.)

This is the Christmas that all of the kids try to come home. So far it looks like that is what will happen. This means much laughter, stories that begin, "Hey, Dad…remember when …?" and the wonderful chaos that is family. God Bless.
The Doziers

Advent

All my selfish works
are ruins I stand upon
to see your coming.

Change

To live is to change
To have changed often is to
Have become perfect.

John Henry Cardinal Newman

May You Always Have A Song

Several years ago, I joined the Moore County Choral Society. Over 100 voices strong, the Choral Society does a wide range of musical offerings. We just finisehd our Christmas concert, which is always a favorite with the community. It is basically a group made up of seniors, although a few "yutes" have joined in the last two years. A "yute" is anyone at least a decade away from Medicare.

Our Director is a very gifted and talanted teacher in the County school system, Ann Dorsey. She is able to bring out the very best in each of us. Her leadership style combines strenth, testiness and humor in a happy blend. In fact, she could have been my eighth grade teacher, Sr. John. This devoted nun had a mission from God to always bring out the best in her charges, without ever using corporal punishment.

A recent study on aging noted that those who sing have a life expectancy of at least 8 years longer than those who don't. You don't have to sing "well" to get this bonus, it just requires that you "sing." I have found that singers have a more positive outlook on life and that they evidence an inner joy, especially when they are in song. Singing involves the whole person: body, mind and spirit and they are all exercised when you make your own personal "joyful noise."

We close each concert with a wonderful and simple tune called, "May You Always Have a Song." The lyrics are so moving that I am generally in tears when we reach the chorus. And at the end, my lips are moving for the conductor's benefit...but there is absolutely nothing coming out. It's embarassing, actually. Here are some of the lyrics, at least the part where I lose it:

...May music be a part of the joy within your heart,
May you feel it deep within your soul.
May the gentle harmony of a tender melody,
Make your spirit whole.

May your life be filled with song
And may your friends all sing along.
May your heart be true and strong,
May you always have a song....
May your always have a song.

I weep as I write the lyrics. I am truly hopeless.

The Conception

The serpent's head crushed.
New Eve mystically conceived.
Immaculata!

Communion

For I both rejoice
And shudder as I commune
With God Who is Fire.

St.Symeon the New Theologian