Shery Love

I first met Sharon (Shery) when I moved to Dallas in 1963.  We were in high school.  I was new to the area and Shery became a great friend to me.  She was one of the top cheerleaders and always had a smile on her face and a ton of friends.  Although she was petite she could spring high into the air.  She had the most powerful legs I have ever seen.  She always delivered her cheers with perfection.

Her parents had a store called Mr. B’s.  For many years I loved to shop there during high school, college and long after.  It was there I saw Shery often.  Then I married and moved from Texas and lost touch with Shery.

In 1978 our family moved to Shreveport.  I unexpectedly ran into Shery while waiting at Sear’s to get a baby picture taken.  We immediately picked up our friendship again.

Several years later my family left Shreveport when Shery was pregnant with Rob.  The big debate was whether he should be called Hamilton – to be shortened to Ham!!  Trust me, we were all in favor of Rob and NOT Ham!  The debate was o interesting and challenging for Jim and Shery.

My memories of Shery are precious.  She was always a nice person to everyone.  She had an infectious smile and lovely demeanor.  She was always a pleasure to be around.  Her abundant talents are too many to list, and she was always willing to share them with everyone.  She had the patience of a saint.

Shery taught me to needlepoint and cross-stitch.  I enjoyed all the projects she helped me with.  I still have a pillow she made for me in 1979.  It has been on my sofa all these years.  I love the butterflies and how they represent the transistions we go through in life.

Shery faced many transitions, but she never let her illness or accident get her down.  Her sense of humor always tickled me during our telephone conversations.  Just a small example was how she described her leg “like a shish kabob,” and the way she wore her hair as a “comb over” after her cancer radiation treatments.  She laughed her way through those tests.

I sent a perfume to Shery called “Beautiful.”  It was a favorite of my mother’s, who also suffered with illness.

Emily, your wonderful mom left to your family a “Beautiful” legacy in the way she lived her life.  She appreciated all things beautiful.  She never let her disability get her down.  She was blessed with talents and we, as her friends, were blessed with her gifts.  Her friendship was a treasure.