"Hope
is faith holding out its hand in the dark."
~ George Iles
Hi
all,
Here we are again with another CABB. Today would have been
Charles Rocket's 58th birthday. As stated last year in CABB 3, the JABB
Yahoogroup voted to do an annual tribute to Charles Rocket on his
birthday each year until JABB concludes. This year is no
different and I hope these reflections enable you to remember this
actor whose work as Adam on TBAA and other roles brought us a lot of
joy and inspiration. If, after reading these, you feel compelled
to write something, I would be happy to post it here with your
permission.
Finally, I hope you will all keep Mr. Rocket's family and friends in
your prayers.
Thank you and God bless,
Jenni
From
Jenni:
When I saw August 24th was quickly approaching again, I got to thinking
about what my contribution for this year would be. I had every
intention about writing of a very special gift that I feel exists only
because of Mr. Rocket. That would be my Dad's and my
turkey-watching ritual. I've said before that these past couple
years turkeys have overrun our area. This last spring was no
exception. And so near daily my dad and I would scope them out on
our way to work. It was really our only shared activity just
between the two of us. And that's the gift I'm grateful
for. Adam made me actually care about turkeys and when Mr. Rocket
died, they became a symbol of hope for me. They were a reminder
of happy times. By seeking them out, I was able to bond with my
father and that's been a great gift.
So
that was all
I planned to write and surely it's no small
thing. However, recent events have made me want to say
more. As I've often stated recently, I'm in the midst of
moving. That is, I have moved but painting and cleaning and
moving things from my parents' to my house have been near-constant
activities. This, and probly an always quiet house, has given me
a lot of time to think. I've been surprised how often I've
thought of those who have gone before me into Heaven. It's been
far more often than I usually have before. It's been both a
blessing and sad. Just now as I was working in my bedroom,
arranging TBAA products, I came across my yarn angels. Four are
very simple, holding either flowers or doves. But then there's
the gray one holding the very bright turkey. It's the one I made
in the days after Mr. Rocket's death made the papers. I sent them
out with a card reading:
"In Memory of
Charles Rocket: 'Our Adam' In 'An Unexpected Snow,'
Adam taught us that there's value in every life, even a turkey's.
May 'Adam' and 'Alexander' here remind you of this truth and of the
wonderful man who brought Adam (and his sense of humor) into our
lives."
I offered the
angels to any JABBer on list at the time. What I
didn't say was that working on them made me terribly sad. I
usually love crafting but this... it felt like a task I shouldn't even
be doing. I wanted to do something to honor Charles Rocket and so
I pushed
through and completed the 6 or so that were requested. I shipped
them off and put my own on a shelf. The days went by and every
day I stared at that angel as I got ready for work and the sadness
crept in. Finally, I couldn't take it any more and put it away in
a drawer with the memorial card. Eventually (and I don't remember
how much time passed), I did take it back out and put it with my other
TBAA stuff where it had remained since.
Just today I
was faced with deciding where it would go in my new
home. I realized that the pain and grief I'd felt when making the
little guy was no longer there. In fact, I smiled when I saw him
in the hastily packed box. I took him out and arranged him with
his yarn angel buddies. But what I was doing didn't seem quite
right. Finally, I ended up centering 'Adam' and 'Alexander' in
the front of the area. Just right!
And so I hope
the memory of Charles Rocket is always obvious to us. I hope we
allow ourselves to feel all the emotions that brings up. But
mostly I hope we all come to a place of happiness and that his memory
will inspire us to look at life in a light-hearted way and to share
with others God's love for them just as Mr. Rocket did as Adam.
God
bless,
Jenni
From
Yvette:
I
have always believed
that hope was a special thing. It maintains our vibrancy for
life, and gives us something that, over time, rejuvenates, restores and
revitalizes our spirits. That is something that Adam did and as I
look back and remember the various things that Charles Rocket
contributed to this world, it saddens me to reflect that he could not
feel the impact of what he was doing for us. I believe
wholeheartedly, that today he knows.
The
character of Adam
was probably one of the most memorable for me. During this time
when I remember Charles Rocket and how he portrayed the angel, I find
myself also reflecting on those other roles he had where he made the
virtual circle close by playing an antagonist and giving the hero
someone credible to defeat. Whether he was Ted in ‘Earth Girls
Are Easy’, or a Russian in ‘King of Queens’ or playing in ‘Lois and
Clark’, he will always be remembered as Adam to me. He will
always carry a sense of goodness and nobility in this legacy. I
am grateful to Charles Rocket for that.
I
remember when I was
a little girl and how I always looked to famous people for a father
figure. I cannot explain why, or perhaps I can because my father
left when I was 12. I looked far and wide for someone to take
that role of a father for me. When I got married I found my
father figure in my husband’s father, but as a young person, people
like Charles Rocket were
very much the kind of people that I aspired to
have around me. They were the ones I wished could have been there
to celebrate the successes in my life, and pick me up when I reached a
trench.
When
I was 24, I
watched Adam pick up and carry a child named Serena to Heaven. I
felt such a rush of love for the character that I could not deny my
bond and connection to him. It is probably one of the most
poignant images that I could possibly have. The comfort and
loving assurances were something that I would never forget.
So,
as we acknowledge
the work and the legacy of Charles Rocket, I remember that image of him
carrying that child to God, and I will never forget that he is being
held in the same arms of love that he so often spoke of on ‘Touched By
An Angel’.
Namasté,
Yvette
Jessen
From Liz:
The
first time I saw Charles Rocket in anything was in the first season of
TBAA. His smile seemed to be so friendly and warming, like you
were a friend he hadn't seen in a long time. His demeanor seemed
that of a big brother always there when you needed someone to talk to
or to have fun with no matter the time of day or night.
I'd
like to eventually see more of what he has done but for the meantime,
I'll just remember that smile and think of how he gave us hope even
during his dark time.
Take
care, my friend.
Suicide
Prevention Information
A more complete
collection of suicide prevention information can be found on CABB 3, with some
thoughts from JABB members. However, this time around I just
wanted to present a more concise listing of resources. The
following are mostly U.S.-based sites. If you are from outside
the U.S., I would greatly appreciate it if you would provide me with
information relevant to your country. Thank you!
JABB 227
JABB
TOC
(Photo Credits: The photographs used on this page are from "Touched by
an Angel" and owned by CBS Productions, Caroline Productions, and Moon
Water Productions. They are not being used to seek profit.)
