Buff's Garden

In our last post we talked about the place we were going to be visiting this time.  But, as they say gang, "The best-laid schemes o' mice an' men; Gang aft agley....etc."  That particular poem by Mr. Burns is a beautiful one and so prophetic to those of us who go along expecting things to remain "normal."  (If you remember the story, there was a little mouse all snuggled down in her nest when - Wham! - a farmer plows through her home.)  Well - I kinda felt like that this week.  We had several medical emergencies to deal with and there is nothing like one of those to upset your whole world for a while.  But - thanks to copious and sincere prayers from our family and friends, (and their steadfast support) things got turned around and we're back on track.  And - it kinda ties right into this visit with you.  As you might recall from our posts a while back - that went on for a couple of years - we had a bit of a battle with the despicable breast cancer demon.  Thankfully for us, prayers again rose around us like protective armor and our loved one was able to defeat the beast.  It is a terrible disease and has been devastating to so many lives that we thought we would share with you a hallowed place we found tucked away along the shores of Virginia Beach.  It is a place called "Buff's Garden" and was created in memory of Buff Taylor Koch who lost her battle with cancer some seventeen years ago.   To commemorate her valiant struggle and to create a permanent and beautiful place where those whose lives have been touched by breast cancer could be remembered, "The Buff Foundation" set about establishing a special place right on the Virginia seashore.  The objectives of the foundation were to maintain the garden located at 47th Street and Oceanfront Avenue and to do some rather remarkable things.  They wanted to foster breast cancer awareness through educational outreach in local area high schools; coordinate and manage the "Buff Foundation Scholarship Fund - The Gift of Awareness" which provides school supplies to local students whose lives or families have been touched by cancer; and promote the award winning cancer awareness video designed for teenagers entitled "The Real Deal = The Truth About Breast Cancer."  Obviously, the foundation's contributions in those areas are of tremendous importance and I totally support the idea behind those campaigns.  But, I've gotta tell you - for someone who has been directly affected by the disease, and one who has spent a lot of time in quiet places doing some heavy-duty praying, the availability of a spot like this means a lot more than most people could describe - or comprehend.  The garden extends between Oceanfront Avenue and the sands of the beach front.  Right in the middle is a circular pergola that provides an anchor-point for some extraordinarily moving memorials and a central point for gardens containing some amazing flowers, herbs, shrubs and trees.  The garden is not very large in total area but, in terms of emotion and memory it is enormous.  As you will see when you look at the photos of the walkway and the memorials in the flower beds that line the entire path this is both a poignant memorial and an emotion-evoking source of philosophical wisdom.  We were absolutely awed by the succinct but powerful phrases found throughout the garden and I think it would be a pretty safe bet that if you can get through the entire length of the place without a tear in your eye you are a very stoic individual.  This place represents the best of us folks.  It serves as a never-ending reminder of the courage and fearlessness of some extraordinary - yet ordinary - individuals.  It shows how the power of our memories can inspire us to remarkable achievements.  Clearly the people who established this beautiful place and those who are committed to seeing it continue understand that they have a greater role in life than simply planting flowers or carving out pathways.  They have seen that by giving encouragement to others; by letting others know they are not alone; by refusing to think of themselves first and, instead, caring for their brothers and sisters who are often in despair - they will leave the world a better place for their efforts.  Anecdotally, even though the "medical issues" I described at the beginning of this post were still a week in the future, our visit here was subtly preparing me to cope with events and emotions I would likely not have been able to handle very well without the "centering" effect of the garden.  Here's the deal, gang;  We are only present on this beautiful blue globe for an excruciatingly brief time.  In order to make the most of that time we must love deeply, share unselfishly, exhibit faith unflaggingly and be friends, loyally.  When we are inspired by those who serve as living models of grace we must not become jaded or intimidated but allow ourselves to be openly and honestly motivated to become larger in our lives.  Bad things do, indeed, happen to good people but let me assure you - when we commit ourselves to actions on behalf of (or inspired by) the best of our friends, brothers and sisters, we will leave the world a brighter, clearer and more peaceful place.  Please do yourself a favor and visit Buff's Garden when you are in Virginia Beach.  You will not be sorry - I guarantee it.  See ya.