Aunt Helen, a Maryknoll Sister

My Aunt Helen Wild was born May 25, 1915 and is still going strong at 93 with a strong spirit, a flashing smile and a heart of gold. She is fluent in three languages and considering her soft voice and gentle kindness her life history would amaze you. Since her twenties she has been a member of the Maryknoll Missionary Sisters, spending many challenging years in Bolivia. This was a time of great change amid the Bolivian National Revolution, an era of socio-political upset with unstable borders and leadership. Education was a luxury only for the wealthy until the Maryknoll Missioners brought it to the rural peasants. She also spent years in Hawaii; not the tourists' Hawaii we think of, rather the impoverished and homeless Native and Asian people in great need of help, hope and healing.

 One of the youngest of 10 children (including my Dad) of Austrian immigrants she grew up on a Baron, Wisconsin farm with a deep appreciation for the value of family, hard work, and faith. When her last siblings, my Aunt Hermina, 97 and my Uncle Harold, 94 passed away last spring I vowed to spend some time with Helen. Very soon.

So I flew to the East Coast recently and stayed with my wonderful niece Lindsay and her (equally wonderful) husband Dave. Lindsay and I went to Ossining, New York to the Maryknoll Motherhouse together to see Aunt Helen. My aunt was just as I remembered her from about ten years ago and even from my youth. Her shiny silver hair and limited mobility were all that revealed the years. Her vision, hearing and memory are enviable. I took an envelope of old photos and Lindsay took one from her wall, still in the frame. We took our time studying the pictures as memories flooded back for Helen and myself and we all learned more about each other. We had lunch on a beautiful terrace amid a colorful vegetable and flower garden overlooking a peaceful courtyard. There were surprises, revelations, insights into my father's youth, exhilarating laughter, and sorrowful moments, too. We spent most of the day and felt a reluctance to leave her behind and a strong desire to return.












 Maryknoll Sisters continue to "make God's love visible" throughout the world today.

Girlie Girl

What self respecting two year old girl would go hiking in the Rocky Mountains without her pink Crocs and matching purse? Please note the all important bent elbow technique for purse holding. Who needs a backpack?

This is my adorable niece, Maddie Wild

September Calendar Page

Remember Winter?

It's Labor Day weekend and summer is almost over - just three weeks til autumn. It's supposed to be hot the next few days and I intend to enjoy it while it lasts. Then when winter comes, I'll be ready. --------------- This photo was taken from my friends' house, Dawn and Ed from Grand Marais, MI on Lake Superior last April 1.

Drowning in Thirst

Dave and Heather this is for you. You seem to be overwhelmed with responsibilities and decisions and things to do lately, so I thought you'd like this. Hang in there...one more day and it's a week of chillin' with the Wilds. I'll watch the kids. M

Fellow Alum

When I went to visit Sarah, my friend in medical school at U of M we went to find my grad pic on the walls of the dental school. As we walked back to the med school Sarah pointed out a fellow alum on those sacred walls.

Drumbeats and Car Horns

"Natives who beat drums to drive off evil spirits are objects of scorn to smart Americans who blow horns to break up traffic jams." – Mary Ellen Kelly

I just had to save these quote and photo of the moment in a blog.

Jingtamok

The drumming and singing accompanied my yardwork all afternoon. This weekend is the 17th Annual Odawa Jingtamok, or Pow Wow. Since the Pow Wow Grounds are less than a quarter mile from my house I can hear it all - the drums, the M.C., the singing. A Pow Wow is a Homecoming or gathering of Native American tribes or as my friend Victor Kishigo would insist, "Indians". The contemporary version includes drum, dance and singing competitions and the intricate regalia that go with it. This year's pow wow chairman, Winnay Wemigwase said they expect 300 to 400 dancers from all over the midwest. My shrubs were all planted by 7pm but the drumbeat continued on long enough to lull me to sleep.

Almost reunion time

Wild Reunion '05 in Sea Ranch, California.

August 18th, Wild Reunion '08 - Steamboat Springs, Colorado, here we come!

Can you say ... Inpropinquitous

My brother Dave taught me a new word. "About 50% of Americans live within 50 miles of their birthplace. This is called propinquity." Since I live well beyond the 50 mile radius I told him, "I guess I'm just inpropinquitous!"