Pete And Pearl, Yet Again

THURS., DEC. 7, 1995, 7:13 AM
FARM, STUDY

Here it is again, that date of double significance to you. It is December 7, and 54 years ago on this date your nation was attacked, and the war that ensued involved you in quite a wonderful way. It is December 7, and 19 years ago your 4th son, peter, was killed, and you experienced the death of someone close and loved, that you had not experienced in that war, 35 years before. We did a whole Ruminations on this theme… a good one… a few years back. Don’t you want to hear what I have to say on this anniversary?

You’ve forgotten many of the details of that time of war, which was to be, in one sense, your war. You remember hearing about the Japanese attack on a quiet Sunday afternoon, with the declaration of war following. High school years continued, with your “combat” being on the football field and the running track. The objective record says there were hardships, but you remember few.

Then came graduation, and entrance into the Navy U-12 program, which also sent you to a university and a heavy schedule of classes. Among the remembrances of that experience at Berkeley should be the one of applying for the chaplain corps. You don’t really remember your motives, but some of them were spiritual. It was not to be your contribution in this life, but I was involved with that desire, feeble though it was. You wanted to serve Me, but that was not to be the way.

That war gave you quite a wonderful start on your college education, gave you a chance to play college football, even at your size, and the opportunity for enough Navy duty to feel somewhat military, and, with the GI bill, gave you the means to go on for the education and degrees that made it possible to be here, doing what I want you to be doing. And what an enjoyable life it has been!

It isn’t hard to trace back and see that your Navy experience at UCLA and your friendship with Ken Kiefer led to your (Our) decision to begin your teaching career at Punahou, the means for meeting Lenore. Your life as a coach waned as your life with her became paramount. You were married, and over the next 10 or so years you had 5 sons, who are now part of the baby boomer generation in your culture.

The first dark-haired, dark eyed one of those sons was Peter, a good name, I continue to say. You remember it being hard to be the father of 4 sons… and then, later, 5. So Peter was the last of the first 4, but, then, not the youngest. You remember him as a sweet child, one who “didn’t have time to think” when he entered 1st grade initially. But then you remember him as a difficult teenager, playing wonderfully vicious football… and then being in trouble. He was showing problems with alcohol… and also having a personal confrontation with Me, as the Risen, Present Christ.

I didn’t cause that accident, but, of course, I could have prevented it, for I had been reaching out to Pete for some time. I wanted him as Mine. But the accident happened, and I said to him, “Do you want to recover and stay here in the earth, or do you want to come with Me?” He didn’t hesitate. He came with Me. Oh, he had some sorrow in leaving you and the earth scene, but he also knew this would save you many heartaches in the future. As he said to his Aunt Marylin, he just didn’t fit.