The Seven

Today my sister Joan shared this  picture of "The Seven" -- me and my six siblings. This was taken outside Trinity Un ind Methodist Church on the day of my Mother's funeral on August 6, 2021. Our Beth, the youngest of the girls, died one day less than a year later on August 5, 2022. So sadly, this was the last photo ever taken of "The Seven". 

My Mother used t enjoy bragging that seven is the number of completion and perfection. 

Joan's children presented Joan with a framed copy of this picture for her birthday yesterday, as you see with the background obscured to emphasize just us. I thought I'd preserve a copy of it here. Each of these six siblings of mine have had an important influence on my life and I cherish them all. How we miss Beth.

Left to right: Sharlyn Beth Shaw Roszel, Charles Terrell Shaw, Deborah Ruth Shaw Lewis, Janice Dianne Shaw Crouse, Lynda Joan Shaw Turrentine, David Baird Shaw, Mary Carol Shaw Johnston.
I find it interesting that many people make a big deal out of which is the first name. That has never been true in our family. Three (Debi, Jan, & David) go by their first names while four (Beth, Joan, Carol, and myself) go by our middle names. My mother (Sarah RUTH Baird Shaw) and grandfather (Benjamin WILSON "Wilse" Baird went by their middle names, as did my uncles (Wilson GRICE Baird , John THOMAS "Tom" Baird, and James LEON Baird), and aunt Esther LOUISE "Sis" Baird