Editor, Times-Union: On August 1, my family suddenly lost my grandmother, Azucena Lopez, only six short months after losing my grandfather, Felipe Lopez.
Like my family, I am suffering tremendously - even surrounded by the knowledge that God has called them home together. In this time of great grief, I am compelled in some small way to reach out to the many friends and family who have supported us. Your thoughts, prayers, meals and physical presence are such grand gestures to us. I appreciate you all so much and all that you've done to allow my family to be able to concentrate on being with one another at this time.
It has been a difficult six months for my family and will continue to be so for a long time to come. As I have always said and believed of my parents - if at the end of my life I am a tenth as wonderful, appreciated, loved and accomplished as my grandparents, I will have lived an incredible life. My parents and grandparents have always been my biggest cheering section and my best friends.
I will miss my Abues terribly, but I hope in some way to have shared on behalf of myself and my family how much we would like to thank everyone for what they've done for us. Even in sadness, there is joy and celebration for the very incredible people they were. Thank you to everyone who has allowed us the time to concentrate on that wonderful knowledge.
Janae (Oler) Newton Dallas, Texas
Cure Blindness
Editor, Times-Union: You can cure blindness without ever going to medical school. You don't need a college degree, any special skills or even perfect vision. All you need is a desire to donate your eyes at death to an eye bank. Signing the form on the back of your driver's license and informing your next of kin of your desire to do so will make it very likely that you will thereby give sight to two people.
Eye donations are used for cornea transplants which are now more than 90 percent successful in restoring or improving sight. But only a human eye can provide a healthy cornea. Synthetic ones have not yet proven successful. For more information on becoming an eye donor, call 800-232-4384.
