Evelyn Dove Coleman: Legacy in Brick

Last Sunday, October 18th, was my late father's birthday. William Lee Dove was born in 1920 and lived to be 94 1/2 years old.  He was striving to reach 100. But that is a difficult number to reach although some people we have known did become Centenarians.  My father bought Dove Farm in 1948 on Briary Run Road with his closest brother Henry Guy Dove. At first he brought his younger siblings and parents to the brown thatch house that was on the farm. Then he built a stone house down the road and later he built his brick house at 539 Briary Run Road where I've operated PathChoice Ministry for decades and rented it out when I fell and broke my hip. 

My father used to joke about having 3 houses on the farm like The 3 Little Pigs built. One house made of straw in the children's story was blown down by the sly old wolf. Another house made of wood was decimated by the same old big bad wolf. But the third pig said the creature could huff and puff but he would not blow down the brick house.  My father likened his initial thatch house, his rickety stone house, and his sturdier brick house on Dove Farm to that story. The lone brick house had stood.

To celebrate my father's birthday, I shared some tips on kidney health with the family. One thing I have learned since my kidney transplant left me on dialysis is that there are ways to maintain kidney health early on.  I advise my family, friends, and readers to eat lots of fruits and vegetables such as apples and cabbage and to do moderate exercise such as walking or stationary biking. I have a pretty card from my dear friend Deborah Tompkins Johnson that says "Stay Hydrated" on the front. That is a reminder I share with everyone. Water is a human being's best friend to help our kidneys function at their best. And to be like a brick house.