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Shannon Mosher |
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Farm Visit Farm Visit was the description on the final invoice
from the Vet’s office. The Farm Visit was to our house about 5:45 pm
yesterday, Monday, May 7, 2007, and the purpose was to euthanize
our precious dog, Braxton. We knew this day was coming, but it was a
very painful experience for Teresa and me, particularly so because
Braxton was Braxton also has had problems with arthritis for
quite awhile, but the meds he was on daily were helping some. But since
our return to the I drove home Friday night from When Teresa called yesterday morning, the report was that Braxton was not doing very well at all, and the prognosis was not good. When we arrived at the Vet’s office later, he said Braxton was unable to stand up and that he had been throwing up a lot of blood. They also found a large mass in his stomach area, which they speculated was cancerous. We all agreed that the best thing for Braxton would be to put him down. The Vet agreed that it would be fine for us to take Braxton home, and about 3 hours later he would come to the house to administer the appropriate drugs. They brought Braxton out to the car on a stretcher, which we kept until the Vet’s visit later. To just look at Braxton on the way home and when we got there, you wouldn’t have thought that he had such serious problems. We were able to carry Braxton to our sunroom, where we moved him off the stretcher and had him just lay on some towels over a couple of rugs. The Vet said it would be fine when I asked about feeding Braxton a good steak (we treated our first dog, Smoke, to the same just before we dropped him off to the Vet’s to be euthanized many years ago) , so we cooked the big sirloin I had picked up earlier on Monday, and cut it up in small bites. Braxton could smell it cooking and his appetite improved dramatically when we brought it to him. We hand fed it to him, and he ate about half then and about 2 hours later he finished off most of what was left. We were blessed to have about 3 hours of good quality time with Braxton before the Vet arrived, and we petted and loved on Braxton for the full time. We were softly rubbing his head and ears while the Vet gave him a shot to put him asleep, and kept it up through the next injection which completed the procedure. We had told the Vet earlier that our plan was to
bury Braxton in the backyard, and he said that was fine. After I
prepared the grave site, we wrapped Braxton in one of the sheets that we
used to always put in the back seat whenever Braxton traveled with us,
which was often. Braxton had always traveled with Shannon and then us,
having never spent a night at a Vet’s or a kennel until this past
weekend…he was just part of the family and everyone knew to expect
Braxton would be with us when we visited. We also put Braxton’s leash
that We would appreciate your prayers for us as we begin to adjust our lives without our precious dog, Braxton. Blessings, Stuart & Teresa May 8, 2007
About Shannon Shannon’s Special Gift To Us...as shared by her dad, Stuart, on February 11, 2001:During worship service today, I couldn’t help but reflect some on how our lives were so dramatically changed 2 years ago on this date as Teresa and I sat in Dr. Coleman’s office with Shannon and her mom, Susan, and heard the word “leukemia.” This past Tuesday was the one year anniversary of Shannon’s bone marrow drive, during which 420 new donors had blood drawn in order to be placed on the national registry. While the challenges and heartache that resulted from Shannon’s battle with leukemia and her bone marrow transplant last March were often unbearable, there were some special times of laughter and joy….I’d like to share some about a special gift that Shannon left us. That gift is Braxton, Shannon’s special golden retriever. Shannon got Braxton while at Georgia Southern University (not a decision that I particularly agreed with at the time!). He was just a puppy and soon developed a severe case of mange….so bad that two vets advised putting him to sleep. But Shannon’s love and persistence led her to another vet, and before long (and a few hundred dollars later) the problem was solved. Shannon had a special love of animals, especially dogs, and she was so patient and diligent in her efforts to train Braxton. He loves to travel, sitting in the back seat with his head propped up looking out the back window; he is definitely a ‘house dog’ and so well mannered - much more obedient than our first dog, Smoke. In fact, Shannon taught Braxton to whisper, something that was a particular delight for her. Well, Shannon had moved back to Atlanta from Albany just a couple of months before her diagnosis, and she asked Teresa and me if we could keep Braxton for two weeks or so until she got settled someplace. Even though we had been empty nesters for years and with no pets to restrict our activity (Smoke had long since gone to doggy heaven), we agreed to keep the mutt. The most humorous part of this story has to do with how the rules around the house kept changing. First, Teresa limited Braxton to the backyard or the utility room area where he slept. Two weeks turned into two months and we were enjoying his company…and then we heard the word leukemia. By this time, Braxton had moved into the den where he was allowed to sleep. I had forgotten how much having a dog around the house meant to me. I remember telling Shannon a couple of months later what a joy Braxton had been to me. Since we were closer to Piedmont Hospital than Shannon’s mom, whenever Shannon was out of the hospital during 1999 she generally crashed in her room at our house. Before long, it became acceptable for Braxton to go to Shannon’s room with her and sleep there…but no way was the dog to get on the bed (as he had been able to do at Shannon’s house in Albany). Within a short time, Shannon figured that when she was able to move into a place of her own it would be an apartment, where a 90 pound dog would probably not be welcomed, so we officially adopted him into our home with Shannon’s blessing and to our delight! Well, by the summer of 1999 it was a given that the dog was bending the rules a bit further by jumping up on the bed with Shannon, but our bedroom was definitely off limits. After Shannon moved into her apartment in November, 1999, the house rules were pretty much back to normal….stay in the den, dog. After the horrendous time in Boston and Shannon’s funeral, we got back into a normal routine… except that we started letting Braxton come into our room at night and sleep on the floor during a heavy rain or thunderstorm because he would get scared and whimper. I don’t know when it started but, you guessed it, before long that mutt was up on the bed between Teresa and me every time it rained! Since he makes weird noises during the night and I’m such a light sleeper, unless there’s a storm Braxton sleeps in the den. But one of the great joys of our day now is to let him come into our room and jump up on the bed for awhile the first thing in the morning. We just lay there and rub Braxton’s head and pet him like there’s no tomorrow (one of Shannon’s favorite things was to lay her head in my lap and let me rub her head, bald or otherwise, as long as I could). So much for house rules. I told Teresa a few days ago that Braxton is such an extension of Shannon and his personality has so much of her special handiwork that comes out, it just makes me feel good to be able to comfort him in some ways….seems like he has been in my office a dozen times since I sat down to write this to get his head rubbed! Those of you who have not been close to a dog before may think this is nuts, but Braxton is just that special….and we told Shannon we’d take good care of him. Have a blessed week, Stuart
Further reflections... Below are some reflections on Shannon's life that were read at her Memorial Celebration Service on May 27, 2000 that provide a glimpse of her positive attitude, independence, faith in God, sense of humor and beautiful personality, all traits that made Shannon so special and unique to her family and friends. First, some reflections from Shannon's family that were read by the Reverend Scot Sherman: From the very beginning, Shannon had a certain zest for life and approached everything she did with gusto. She did not think there was anything she couldn't do. Whether it was training a horse to ride, rebuilding her swing glider, installing a sprinkler system, or mastering the workings of a TV station, she could do it all. She
loved the outdoors and animals. She
had a great love for horses and spent her younger years thinking she was
one. Summers were spent in Tallahassee and North Carolina. On rainy summer
days, Shannon , her brother Scott and cousin Clay would play “Star
Wars”. The boys chose the
heroic roles of Luke Skywalker and Hans Solo.
Guess you think Shannon would play the role of the beautiful
Princess Leah—not our Shannon—she chose to play a Tan Tan (that’s a
horse) and ran around the house for weeks on all fours with a cup on her
nose. That episode only came
to an end when a mad chase through the house ended with Shannon running
into the wall! They stayed in
the pool ALL summer, Shannon
went to bed every night with her hair soaking wet.
They had such great fun. North
Carolina summers gave Shannon a chance to spend with pet horses Champ and
Charlie. The first time she
met them she ran up the hill, took one look at Champ, jumped on his back
(no saddle), he reared up and the two of them dashed off into the field.
No fear, no hesitation, seizing the moment and getting the most out
of it. That’s
Shannon. She was proud of the fact that her dog, Braxton, was the most
well-behaved dog she knew. She
taught him how to whisper. Sylvester,
her cat, was really a girl—but was named after the cartoon character
because of her white paws. Sylvester
was independent like Shannon. Shannon
liked people. She loved her
friends. She loved her
family. She
and her older brother, Scott, shared a unique relationship.
They were always very close - with Shannon making most of the
decisions - some of which got them in a lot of trouble.
When she moved back to Atlanta in November, 1998, Shannon spent a
lot of time crashing at Scott's apartment and meeting him for sushi at
least three times a week. When
they were young, Shannon had the greatest time yelling to our German
Shepherd to “get’em Smoke, get’em” and then watching the dog chase
after Scott all through the woods. Scott never seemed to enjoy the
experience as much as Shannon did! She
took great pride in her youngest brother, Derek, sometimes being motherly.
He thrilled her with his guitar playing and just before she was
diagnosed, she was videotaping Derek as he and his friend played their
guitars at a local bookstore. No
doubt about it, she was in charge of the whole production. In
November, 1999 after living with both parents at different times over the
past year, Shannon longed for a place of her own.
Wanting to be near her brother, Scott, she moved into her own
apartment, furnished with love by her grandmother. Everyone who entered
her apartment immediately commented on how cozy and comfortable it felt -
just another reflection of how easy it was to be around Shannon. Shannon
loved Mom’s sweet ice tea, (the
kind with a whole bag of sugar in it), reading a good book, fixing a
Christmas dinner for the whole family, taking walks in a garden, hated
shopping, loved taking naps and playing softball, and making anyone near
her scratch her head relentlessly. She
liked quiet moments. She
liked her music. She liked hugs. She
relished strolling down a street in Paris and seeing a Monet painting up
close. She liked writing Thank You notes. But she did worry about important things -- knowing her donor
was European, she wondered if it might affect her craving for sushi!
Shannon’s
testimony to those who followed her story was inspirational, challenging
and encouraging. She had
faith and trust in the Lord that He was in control, and did not spend much
time trying to figure it all out as to why she had the battle with
leukemia. Hundreds and perhaps thousands of people fed off her powerful
reliance on the Almighty and from her amazing positive attitude. In closing, her family wishes to thank all who helped and supported Shannon during her illness, especially the bone marrow drive. Her desire to get people together for this life saving effort could hopefully help others. Shannon had a tremendous impact on the lives of all she met. The outpouring of love from so many is a testament to her vivacious spirit and tremendous courage. Below are some reflections as read by Shannon's best friend, MC Brooks, from Albany, GA: It
is an honor to speak at this celebration of Shannon’s life. I met
Shannon in 1996 when we both worked at the TV station in Albany. As with
many of us, I was drawn to her by her zest for life and, most importantly,
love of gardening. She loved to work in my garden, one, because she loved
to garden and, two, because she loved to help people. (I had had back
surgery). As our gardens and friendship grew, Shannon began to ask me
about my spiritual side. I invited her to church and she came regularly.
She asked her father to give her a bible and was none to patient about
getting it either! I
could talk for a long time about Shannon and how great she was, but I
think I need to tell you what Shannon would want you to hear. Gardening is
like a spiritual journey. You have to plant the seeds and you have to
water and nurture the plants. The seed is the Holy Spirit and is available
to all who ask for and believe in Jesus Christ. The watering comes from
the word of God and the nurturing comes from spending time worshipping
God. When flowers blossom it is evidence of the glory of God. Shannon
blossomed and was as beautiful as a rose. Shannon’s illness caused a lot
of us to plant, water and nurture our gardens. Don’t abandon this
garden. It was started for a reason. Shannon
would say something like this to you right now: “Plant a garden, watch
it grow, and you will experience the glory of God right here on earth.”
If you are not a gardener, I would recommend that you plant Rosemary. It
smells wonderful, it is great for cooking, it is drought tolerant (we need
that) and is known as the herb for remembrance. Below are some reflections from Shannon's aunt, Sandra Adams, with whom she went on a special vacation to Paris, France in August, 1999 during her first remission: Shannon was never shy. She had a gift of expressing herself. She practically burst her Uncle Chad’s eardrums on Beech Mountain, N. C. when she was 4. He was holding her when the witch from the Wizard of Oz jumped out – you could hear her all the way down the mountain. On another occasion we could hear her all over the mall after she had one ear pierced and her mom and grandmother had to convince her to get the other one done. Shannon was outgoing -- Shannon wasn’t shy. That’s why I’ll be forever grateful that she felt comfortable enough to say “Can I go to Paris with you and Uncle Chad?” Next thing we knew, we were on the plane, stopping in London for a mad dash over the London bridge, then on to France, had a wild ride in a taxi and got dressed for our first dinner in Paris. That was the beginning of a fun-filled week that included a lot of eating and sightseeing and eating and eating. When Shannon was growing up, she was a fairly picky eater, but I thought that since she had developed this sushi fetish of late that she would experiment with new foods while we were in Paris—I shouldn’t have been concerned. Every meal was an adventure and she loved to order using only French. At our first dinner in Paris, we all ordered different things. Shannon announced matter of factly “I really don’t like this sharing of the food thing, sampling off everyone’s plate. Well, it didn’t take long, the first big delicious chocolate dessert that came out, what do you think she says “ Hey, I really dig this sharing of the food thing!, Pass the plate, my turn.” Shannon was probably the only 28 year old who ever got lost at the Eiffel tower with no less than 4 adult chaperones! We thought she was lost, she thought we were lost. She strolled around Paris and soaked in the sights. We ran around looking for her for 3 hours in the hot sun in a panic. When I finally got back to the hotel, there was Shannon propped up on the bed drinking an $8.00 beverage from the hotel fridge! Our last evening in Paris, we had dinner at Maxim’s. So exquisite, very elegant.. Of course, Shannon being Shannon and having already impressed half of Paris as she strolled through the streets of that lovely city, looks up at a very conservative Captain of waiters for our table and with that big smile, says to him, “Please order for me whatever you think a young lady on her last night in Paris would like to have”. He said, “Oui mademoiselle,” and bowed. Shannon had won him over and he treated her like a princess for the rest of that evening. Just a few stories about our Shannon, a princess, not a shy one mind you, but still a princess. These are some reflections from Shannon's
good friend, Tammy Green, who worked with her at Sprint PCS: Hi, I’m Shannon Mosher and I love my job! That’s the first message that we at Sprint PCS got from Shannon. Shannon made people feel at ease from the moment they met her. She was always positive, upbeat, and funny. Shannon had an “Exceptional smile” and the “Ability to light up a room”. These
are some comments from Sprint employees about her smile and personality: Heather
Cassidy “Shannon brought life in and around her” I immediately noticed
her infectious smile. This
perma-smile, if you will captivated me so, that I had to introduce myself
and see what it was that she was so happy about. Jennifer
Jones “Shannon was
our offices Tinker Bell, wherever she went a trail of happiness followed
her” Katie
“ Shannon could light up any room with her presence One flash of her
smile was enough to uplift anyone for the rest of the day. Wilma
Clark “ Shannon was the bubbliest, fun to be around beautiful bald woman
I ever met. She had so much
style and she glowed with her love for life.
Shannon loved to share herself with everyone.
Shannon was a magnet that pulled you into her loving spirit.
You felt so much better just being around her. Shannon
wrote in her journal “ I get my joy for life and my energy from my
Grandmother”. Shannon
was an inspiration. She once told me “I think that I have a new purpose
in life and that purpose is to inspire other people” We at Sprint PCS
know this to be true. We have
all been moved by Shannon’s undying smile and upbeat attitude.
I have personally been inspired by Shannon in many ways…
I have a renewed appreciation for
life realizing that today could always be my last. Problems in life now
seem so trivial in the grand scheme of things.
I can remember talking with Shannon after her transplant, telling
her about my not so great day and she told me “When you are having a bad
day in sales, just think about me. I’d love to be out there getting rejected every day.”
This really hits home for a lot of us. Shannon’s
winning attitude and positive approach to life has not gone unnoticed.
Sprint PCS has a traveling trophy that is awarded to the top
performing District in the Southeast region on a quarterly basis.
The trophy will be named “The Shannon Mosher Award” in honor of
Shannon. On
a personal note, I became close friends with Shannon and I would like to
mention a few things that she loved dearly.
They all start with S. Sleep,
Sushi and SHEA (her boyfriend) I’d like to share a note with you that
she left for Shea when she left for Boston .
“ Shea , This is a variegated ivy for your plant-stand that we
found at Michael’s along with the $20.00 candle which I’ve been
burning every night. It’s a
great little plant especially since we share the same qualities.
Dainty yet tough, love to worship the sun, drink water regularly
and will flourish with your care. Love,
Shannon” There
is a song by the Dixie Chicks that Shannon listened to 100’s of times
while in Boston. It reminded
her of Shea and I think it describes Shannon perfectly.
The name of the song is “Cowboy Take me Away”. Shannon also
used to dream about this song while in the hospital.
I am going to share the lyrics now: Cowboy
Take Me Away -- I
said I wanna touch the earth
I
wanna break it in my hands
I wanna grow something wild and
unruly
I wanna sleep on the hard ground In
the comfort of your
arms
On a pillow of
bluebonnets
In a blanket made of
stars
Oh it sounds good to me I said Cowboy
take me
away
Fly this girl as high as you
can
Into the wild
blue
Set me free oh I pray Closer
to heaven above
and
Closer to you closer to
you
I wanna walk and not
run
I wanna skip and not fall I
wanna look at the
horizon
And not see a building standing
tall
I wanna be the only
one
For miles and miles Except
for maybe
you
And your simple
smile
Oh it sounds so good to
me
Yes it sounds so good to me Cowboy
take me
away
Fly this girl as high as you
can
Into the wild
blue
Set me free oh I pray Closer
to heaven above
and
Closer to you closer to
you
I said I wanna touch the
earth
I wanna break it in my hands I
wanna grow something wild and
unruly
Oh it sounds so good to
me
Cowboy take me
away
Fly this girl as high as you can Into the wild blue Set me free oh I pray Closer to heaven above and Closer to you closer to you Closer
to
you
Cowboy take me
away,
Closer to you Shannon Mosher is my friend and memories of her will live in my thoughts forever. Finally, another very good friend of Shannon's, Bridget Breen, was asked to read the following at her memorial service: Hundreds of emails came across Shannon's website over the past 5 months that provided words of encouragement, admiration for her courage and as petitions to the Lord on her behalf. Earlier this month, Shannon's dad and Teresa sat on her bed in Boston for hours in a sweet time of reflection and read many of them to her that she had not heard, many from people who did not even know her personally. Shannon was humbled and full of emotion by the outpouring of love and support from so many people, and in hearing how her experience was actually changing lives. It is my honor now to read some examples of these emails. First, are some that were directed to Shannon's dad, Stuart. I
must
tell you that reading your emails about Shannon really gives me a new
perspective of my own life every day, and I thank you. This will be used
for God’s glory. Each
step of this “journey” with Shannon has brought me and I’m sure
countless others closer to God. Please tell Shannon I appreciate her
helping to show me that prayer, trust and obedience to God’s will in my
life, can and will help others. I have people I don’t even know,
stopping me and asking how Shannon is doing. A lady called me the other
day and said her Sunday School class was praying for Shannon this
Wednesday. I know not who she is or how she knows about Shannon’s
ordeal. The important thing is to know that Shannon is being lifted up in
prayer by thousands of people. May
God grant Shannon’s desire to be at home with you this Easter. (Note:
He did! She came home to the apartment Good Friday and was able to enjoy
18 special days out of the hospital before being readmitted) The
next few were some sent to Shannon from people who knew her: I
have to thank you for helping me to talk to God again. I guess I had kind
of lost touch with Him or maybe thought he wasn’t listening. Now I know
He does. I love you and miss you dearly and wish I was eating sushi with
you right now. There
are thousands of people just here in Chattanooga, nameless, faceless
people you will never personally know, who are watching and waiting,
issuing your name in chapels, parishes, temples and synagogues all over
town. You are in the daily thoughts and prayer of so many people. I
know your road ahead is tough, but it is clear God is working on your
behalf. He is using your faith and His response to that in order to build
up the faith of many others. Thank you for your testimony. I
am overcome with different emotions and there is so much I want to say.
First and foremost, you are in my thoughts and prayers. I realize that
some of my actions toward you weren’t very Christian. And I’m asking
you for forgiveness. It’s not always easy to face someone when you know
you’ve not acted appropriately. I am embarrassed, ashamed and
remorseful. I don’t know if you are interested in friendship from me,
but I am offering it. I just took a look at your picture and wept for you. I will start to pray for you. What a testimony for God’s grace that you can be so positive and thankful for what you are going through. I have a feeling that you can teach me much. Hang in there. You
make the rest of us thank God for everything we have. You are a blessing
to all of us. Finally,
these are some emails sent to Shannon from people who didn’t even know
her: You
have become very special to me even though I have never met you. I’ve
put you on my prayer list, and know that you are very special and the Lord
is watching over you. Remember, you are being prayed for in Enid,
Oklahoma! Hi!
Although we don’t know each other, I just want to say I’m praying for
you, and may God heal you. Hang in there. I’d like to share a Scripture
with you, if that’s okay: Matthew 19:26“…with God all things are
possible.” I’m
taking your outlook on life and beginning to LIVE again. Sometimes we take
life for granted. We rush through without taking the time to thank our
Creator for its pleasures. I am going to send a prayer your way. Although
we have not had the privilege of meeting, you are on our prayer list and
after reading your website I am so inspired. Thank you for using the power
that God has blessed each and everyone of us with. Thanks for being an
inspiration to so many and most importantly for having a phenomenal
attitude and being a great witness for God! Shannon was very diligent, believed in excellence, and sought to do the best job possible, wherever she worked. Below are some personal comments that Shannon provided on her new website a few weeks after relapsing in November, 1999: I'd
like to introduce myself and give you a little background.
I was diagnosed
with Leukemia in February, 1999. Following chemotherapy, I went into
remission. A significant step in "starting over" was
joining Sprint PCS in November. Despite the good fortune of
remission and new career horizons, my leukemia relapsed a few weeks
ago during Thanksgiving. A personal statement from
Shannon...
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