Susan Hill:
CLASS OF 1967
St. Francis High SchoolClass of 1967
Eugene, OR
Susan's Story
After living with myself all these years it is hard to imagine the impressions old classmates may have of me. My impression of me in high school was that I was an ugly, misfit, geek with no social graces whatsoever.
I'm not quite so hard on myself these days and I now realize it doesn't matter how other people see me -- I only answer to one "judge" and He sees me as a precious treasure and that makes every day of my life a wonderful adventure.
I went through a lot of years of being wild and crazy after high school. I finally got around to getting married and had two children. Shortly after the second child was born, my husband and I decided the best thing we could do for our kids was to split up.
I remained a single mom and spent the years sharing adventures with my children. They learned a love of nature and social responsibility that led to us adopting a pregnant scorpion (we didn't realize her delicate condition when we took her in), working a family route for a local newspaper, attending many Jesus Northwest festivals, helping hurt deer and birds.
Our joy in nature was enhanced by living across from a large sand flat that led down to the bay. We often took long walks there together, trying to figure out where the killdeer nests where that the parent birds tried to keep us from, following the tunnels in the weeds from field mice, catching various bugs and lizards and snakes (oh my) and delighting in the variety of wild flowers and weeds that grew out there.
Just before my 45th birthday, I began to understand what "accepting the Lord" meant. I finally got it, that I didn't have to earn heaven or go to purgatory for eternity minus one day to make up for all my sins. How I missed that understanding in nearly 12 years of Catholic school . . . well, I guess I'm just a little slow -- or was it selfishness and pride? Whatever, it was quite a pleasant surprise when I began to understand.
I moved in to my mom and step-dad's place several years back and tho I had planned to buy a home and move into it, I realized that I needed to stay put and do what I could to help my folks out. Dad died shortly after that and since then it has been me and mom here with cats, deer, 2 acres of land, a million things to do that I never catch up on, and all-in-all a pretty peaceful life.
I have worked for the school district f...Expand for more
or 25+ years and have so enjoyed the opportunity to work with kids. I am passionate about worship in sign language. Two of my favorite places on earth are Bodie, California and the Florida Keys up through the everglades.
I enjoy laughing and totally love to amuse my friends. I am a very visual person and while I am listening to ... say, the news, millions of pictures are flashing through my mind, envisioning what I hear is happening, making picture word-plays of what was said, planning what I'll be doing over the weekend, praying for my family and others --- and a few dozen other things all at the same time.
I am passionate about my family, about human rights (especially children's), animal rights, global warming, recycling, doing no harm to anything or anyone as I journey thru this life (wish I was more successful at that!) and doing what good I can.
I guess I'm still a hippie at heart tho I choose not to indulge in drugs anymore. I love music and dancing and love to go. Doesn't so much matter where, cuz the whole earth is so beautiful but my favorite destinations are those that involve my kids and family.
Good grief, I've rattled on and on and I could be stacking wood, weeding the garden, getting things from the sun porch put up for the winter, recovering the roof of the metal shed over the "workshop", detailing my car . . . or just enjoying phone calls to my kids and hanging out with mom and the kittens outside.
My son and his wife live in Oregon. He was in business management for a franchise until about 2 or 3 years ago. At that time they sold their home and he got into the indoor electrician's apprenticeship program. Now that their children are 2 and 4, his wife (I consider her my daughter cuz she's too wonderful to be just an in-law!) is looking for part-time work evenings.
My daughter just graduated from State U of NY, Buffalo, Law and sat the bar toward the end of summer. She is single--no kids. Currently she is looking for work in a firm that deals with: public law, environmental law
or immigration. She has worked for the state of NY, intern in public law in Rochester, also for a firm that handled the big business side of mesothelioma cases.
God's blessings on you all and on your families and those you love. I'd love to hear from any and all of you!
In God's love and grace - Suz
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