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Huffman: Woman's essay shows her love for her dad, nature reserve

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By Dale Huffman, Staff writer 11:18 PM Sunday, June 14, 2009

Father’s Day is fast approaching on Sunday, June 21, but Joanne Houston of Kettering has a special way of remembering her beloved father, Curtis Houston, on a regular basis.

“I was maybe 5 years old or 6 when Dad first took me with him to Sugarcreek Reserve,” she said. “He died at age 82 in March of 2002, but I still think of him and visit the reserve all the time. I run maybe 25 hours a week there. I am sometimes out there at the beautiful park when I am happy, when I am sad, sometimes to meditate.

“It is a calm place of love and peace, and I have a spiritual connection there. And I will eternally thank my dad for introducing the park to me,” she said.

Sugarcreek Reserve is located at 4178 Conference Road not far from Bellbrook, and is a place of natural beauty maintained by the Five Rivers MetroParks system.

Joanne, 45, is a senior account executive for Automotive Data Processing Inc. of Dayton.

In her father’s memory and in honor of her mother, Emma Houston, who will observe her 87th birthday on June 22, Joanne recently penned an essay about Sugarcreek Reserve “where my father’s legacy lives on, and a place where my love of nature was eternally planted within my soul.”

I like her way with words, and she has given me permission to share parts of her essay:

“From the doe that stands 20 feet before me in the prairie, from the flock of Pileated Woodpeckers clinging to their trees, and, the wise Eastern Screech-Owl that somtimes flies right before me ... from all these beautiful gifts, this is my paradise, my refuge from the choatic world outside.

“I see people running with their iPods and hope that some day they will discover the beauty and serenity that I have discovered and have come to love and cherish within these woods. For me there is no need for artificial music; the sights, smells and sounds of this masterpiece are my music.

“Sugarcreek Reserve is my reflecting pool, my time of meditation and solitude with nature. This is where I feel God’s breath upon me through the gentle breeze rustling through the trees enveloping my soul. How grateful I am for such an aweseome treasure. I thank my Dad for introducing me to this sanctuary and refuge and I thank God for its creation.

“Many years have passed since that first day when my father sowed the seeds for my love and appreciation of Sugarcreek Reserve. At that time, decades ago, neither of us could know that his legacy would carry on, through my own love and appreciation.”

Joanne added, “In sharing these words, I hope I have planted a seed and created a spark for someone else out there to create his or her own legacy. Let us all do our part so that others can embrace this beautiful gift of nature for future generations.

“My father’s imprint remains here,” she said. “His spirit still embraces me as I run through these woods. His spirit runs with me, showering me with joy. It is my wish that we all learn to love, nurture, appreciate and embrace this place, and all the beautiful parks, and to respect forever these awesome gifts from God. “

Dale Huffman wants your suggestions and story ideas. He’d like to share a story about you, your family, or a friend. This column is for you. Send e-mail to dhuffman@DaytonDailyNews.com or write to Dale at 1611 S. Main St. Dayton, OH 45409. Fax: (937) 225-2489. Phone: (937) 225-2272.

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Our Statehouse in Columbus wants to drill for oil in our nature reserves.

Bill
11:15 AM, 6/15/2009

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If anybody wants to see what they are missing by never having visited the Sugarcreek Reserve head over to http://www.flickr.com/search/?q=sug...
Jim is a local artist that does a wonderful job capturing the beauty of the reserve.

Gerry
9:03 AM, 6/15/2009

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