Article June 13, 2005 Issue

WHEN LOSS IS GAIN—A TRIBUTE TO MY DAD

By Karen VanNort

WHEN I WAS A LITTLE GIRL, MY FRIEND DIANE AND I PLAYED A PRETEND game of "house." The basement in my home was quite large, and one section was our playhouse. Often we shared that basement with my dad, who had an in-home office set up there as well. He had just resigned his job as a manufacturer's representative and was devoting himself to becoming a Christian Science healer.

One day when we were playing, I thought Diane was getting a little too loud, and I said to her, "Diane, be quiet. Don't you know my daddy's healing the world!" He told me years later that he felt pretty humbled by what I'd said to my friend. As the years went by, I came to depend on my dad as my mentor on my own spiritual journey. We were getting to know God better together. He helped me through all kinds of crises, from physical troubles to relationship problems.

After I was married and was a young mother, I would ask my father to pray with me about problems concerning our family. In that way, he was more than just a dad. He showed me by his example how to approach my problems with a spiritual outlook, and taught me to go to the Bible and Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures by Mary Baker Eddy as my guides and helpers.

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WHEN LOSS IS GAIN—A TRIBUTE TO MY DAD

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