Meet Your Neighbor

By Dolly Cowan

This summer, as the pace is a bit slower at the Panhandle Herald, we’ve decided to incorporate a new article in our weekly paper, as space allows. It will be entitled, “Meet Your Neighbor,” and it will highlight random individuals throughout the community. We’re hoping that the article will encourage a kindred spirit as we introduce you to your Panhandle neighbors!

A few weeks back, a woman you all know wheeled into the Herald office and announced, “I’m here! Aren’t y’all lucky you get to see me today?”

The day was a Wednesday; the busiest day of the week for us at the news office, made even busier by the time of year. May…Senior Edition!

We stopped our busy work to visit with our guest.

Did I mention that she “wheeled” into our office? Confined to a powered wheelchair or “power chair” for more than a decade because of various physical conditions, she is anything but disabled! This woman does any and everything she wants to do! And, she blesses others along the way!

Always cheerful, this lady is a devout Christian (a church greeter at FBC), a loving mother and a doting grandmother. She fills her days with serving others, either in her home or out and about town.

She is an extremely gifted individual, and you will find, in her home and in other homes and businesses about town, her beautiful paintings and various other crafts. Colorful flowers on just about any useful household item are her specialty!

She’s been a widow for several years now, but was happily married for many years and raised two adopted sons. One son is married and has given her two wonderful granddaughters, which provide her with all kinds of entertainment! She, in turn, loves to relate stories of these two with others.

Our happy guest told numerous anecdotes including her grandchildren with a gleam in her eye. We laughed and traded a few of our own tales, and after about 15 or 20 minutes, she wheeled herself out the door, proclaiming “I’ll let you girls get back to work, now!”

We talked about what a treat her impromptu visit had been and indeed, she had made our day!

Lucky that we got to see this vibrant woman? Luck can be good or bad. Blessed is what we were! Blessings are always good, and this lady is always a blessing! This is a woman most of us know and love, but if you don’t…meet Jo Whitehead!