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  • reminders of my son

    Whenever I see anything at all, I see Sam.

    whenever i see...

    stars

    lions

    butterflies

    flamingos

    sad kids

    a happy little boy

    big brown eyes

    tears

    smiles

    the sky

    ADDICTION

    the ocean

    mountains

    rainbow sparkles in the snow

    waterfalls

    heart stones

    heart clouds

    anything heart-shaped

    rainbows

    moose

    wooden beads

    trillium

    soft little hands

    marigolds

    subarus

    pills

    bandanas

    the color orchid

    dogs

    ice cream

    sea shells

    lax

    hoops

    baseball

    hats

    fishing rods

    marshmallow fluff

    meatloaf

    Sarah

    palm trees

    spiders

    big snakes

    17, 22, 23

    death

    sunflowers

    pumpkins

    cous cous

    dancing

    herons

    carhartt jackets

    toy

    cars

    ineffective agencies

    ABUSE

    whenever i see anything at all, i see Sam.

    whenever i hear...

    singing

    parakeets

    robins

    rivers

    laughter

    sobbing

    screaming

    waves

    guitars

    drums

    jackson browne

    paul simon

    bob marley

    james taylor

    rain

    fireworks

    whenever i hear any sound at all, i hear Sam

    whenever i smell...

    peanut butter

    hospitals

    forests

    ocean air

    bait

    dirty socks

    sweat

    grass

    roses

    vanilla

    candles

    pizza

    lilacs

    barbecues

    leather chairs

    new cars

    after shave

    wood smoke

    coffee

    old shoes

    sun screen

    chlorinated swimming pools

    his room

    whenever i smell anything at all, i smell Sam

    whenever i feel...

    joy

    pain

    sorrow

    hopelessness

    helplessness

    love

    hate

    alone

    anger

    terror

    loss

    pride

    courage

    wounded

    God

    FEAR

    whenever i feel anything at all, i feel Sam.

    -Linda Namy

  • I am writing to tell you about my son Calvin Barnes Dana. He died on March 6, 2012 of a drug overdose due to cocaine and methadone. He was 18 years old and young and wild and free. He was a beautiful kind and loving boy. He was busy with becoming an adult. He had gone away to college at Johnson and Wales University, but returned home to Vermont during his first semester.

    He was 18 years old and young and wild and free. He was a beautiful kind and loving boy.

    He was working at Killington Mountain as a snowmaker when he died. He loved the job and his friends there. He was very happy the day before he died he had posted on Facebook about the best day ever ripping up the trails snowmobiling. He was a very special person to me and all his family and friends that knew him.

    He began smoking pot in high school and I was concerned. He would tell me to "Chillax Mom, everybody in Woodstock smokes pot." I did not ever condone his pot smoking. I know he was trying to find himself and it is so difficult to be 18 and to face the pressures of life.

    He had a family that adored him and many friends. He was a good person who never hurt anybody. He lived in the moment and was a joy to have around.

    My grief and sorrow is excruciating! It has been 27 months since he passed away in Bridgewater, Vermont. Not in a million years did I think that Calvin would die here in Vermont at such a young age. He was born and raised here and I thought it was such a wonderful and safe place to raise a family. He attended Pomfret elementary school K-6 and I can not say enough good things about that school that nurtured and held him emotionally and physically and gave him an excellent education. It was a safe place with extremely caring teachers and staff. I am so disgusted and angry with Woodstock Union High school because in my opinion they stick their heads in the sand about the enormous drug problem they have.

    I attended the film The Hungry Heart when it was brought to Woodstock by the Ottaquechee Health Foundation, and they were so kind and made a dedication to honor Calvin that night. It was a great turnout of over 200 people. However, it was mostly adults that attended and I spoke with the film maker Bess O'Brien and she told me that she had offered to show the film to WUMS and WUHS and she had been told that there was no time in their schedule. I had hoped that the film could be shown at the school that Calvin graduated from in 2011. As the motto of the film says, if it could save one kid it would be worth it!

    Thank you for your consideration and concern. Calvin is my inspiration to live in the moment and to not take anyone or anything for granted. He has taught me to appreciate and love all the unexpected wonders in life. I am so grateful that I had my son for 18 years.

    He left here too soon.

    -Dalene Washburn

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