Visiting Ocean City, Md., this past weekend, I found in the local
newspaper — The Daily Times — a story about the efforts of a husband
to honor the memory of his wife, who died at the Pentagon on Sept. 11,
2001.
Donn Marshall set up the Shelley A. Marshall Foundation because, the
paper quoted him as saying, “Something good had to come of that day.”
The foundation has sponsored local reading programs, creative writing
contests and a summer art workshop.
And to celebrate Shelley Marshall’s fondness for unwinding at day’s end
with a cup of tea, the foundation hosts tea parties — with real
teacups — for the residents of nursing homes. Thanks to the Web, the
foundation has received donations of more than 500 teacups from around
the world.
Certainly it appears that Donn Marshall and all of the foundation’s
supporters have helped something good come out of a terrible loss.
And so has Beth Ward, the local reporter who told this story. Good
local journalism helps us keep alive the memories of people and events
that help shape who we are. And sometimes, storytelling allows us to
participate in the life of our communities in ways we otherwise might
not have discovered.
