Retired Rear Admiral Roberta Hazard is my earliest and longest standing relationship with someone that influenced my religion. She knew me from the day of my birth until a move she made where the USPS did not forward our cards to her. She was a good Naval Officer, and good woman, and a good Catholic. She studied history and education, more history, then joined the war college, and took all that into the military. I remember her constantly being a sweet and kind woman. She sent me a prayer that I keep on my wall, it has been on my wall everywhere I have lived since. Mostly her influence has not been a traditional leading, but just being that kind woman.
Her life has also taught me that just because you are great at one thing does not mean you cannot do something else (or 2, or 3) as well, in her case history, education, the military, and religion. This also led me to find Dr Joseph Warren an inspiration, but that is a thing for another time.
A much more recent person of influence is Sharon Blackford. Again she is a great person in and of herself, and also a good Christian, in her case Episcopalian. She was my friend for a long while before she mentioned her being religious. She found out that while I loved the people at my parents church the service was not for me. I had tried so hard to fit in the service, I joined a choir, I even did a dance of joy during service, but in the case of the former I felt like I was an outcast for asking for sheet music, in the case of the latter I did it hoping I could feel what others did when they do, I cried when I got home because I felt nothing but tired from the experience. Sherry invited me to come to her church. Even after moving far away she has walked with me as I have gone on this journey, from joining the church, to Confirmation, to looking at joining an Order.
While we are not related I have called her sister, both spiritually and as someone who I would have loved to actually have been my sister.
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