[NFBF-L] Very Sad News

[Brian Norton]

Dear Brooke,
Today, I sadly reviewed the several dozens of email correspondence 
between us during the past two years. I have selected several which 
show your strong spirituality, independence, intelligence, compassion, 
and humor. When we last talked, I told you that I had just taken the 
Florida Bar exam, and you wished me good luck. You further stated that 
the recent treatments and tests indicated that you were cancer free. 
You sounded exhausted, and I guess that your immunities were just too 
disappated by your long illness. You provided me with much help, 
advice, friendship and love. I miss you, so I decided to share some of 
your words with our fellow NFBF members who may not have known you:
Thank you for sharing your spirit with me,
Peace and love,
Brian
Florida NFB Deaf Blind Division President
Florida NFBF Greater Daytona Beach President
386.871.3359
brian.edward.norton at outlook.com

On the road heading home
Hey there Brian,
We’ve been traveling two weeks to Colorado. On our way home, passing 
through St Louis . .
Brooke
Like a bee that gathers nectar from flowers, in vstillness and silence 
I too gather nectar. It is  called awareness. ~anon
Date:
President Valkema
There are no walls in a community of faith builders as you have pointed 
out in your message of  response earlier this evening regarding NFB 
Communities of Faith.
Thank you for your straightforwardness. It isn’t about religion per se, 
a community of faith is  about serving others through a community of 
faith building partners in bridge building for the  nations NFB very 
active blind.
Yes, the article below is long. So is our work. I do hope in all 
sincerity the comprehensive  article below is a help mate to any and 
all Who choose to build new lives.
Thank you.
Brooke Evans
National Federation of the Blind
Palm Beach Chapter
NFB DeafBlind Division
Yes, Community of Faith Religion Can Still Be A Force For Good In The 
World. Here Are 100 Examples  How Antonia Blumberg
Religion has made its way into many global conflicts, and there is no 
doubt that religion can be  divisive and cause harm. That said, 
countless religious groups, congregations and individuals  around the 
world offer daily demonstrations that faith can offer deep spiritual 
wisdom, be a major  vehicle for service to the world and promote peace.
Here are 100 examples of how faith-based groups are doing good in the 
world today in no particular  order. Many of them we found through 
#ReligionDoingGood

Read Message
From:
Brooke Evans
To:
Brian Norton
Subject:
Re: Light of the World
Thank you for the memories evoked here, Brian.
 Many years ago I had a box of note stationery with this painting 
prints on the note paper. In my  real eyeball days I was a prolific 
letter writer and had a dream, as did my daughter, to fulfill  our love 
for “all things paper”... stationery, gift wrap papers, greeting cards, 
specialty books  and implements connected with papers.
Brooke
On Jun 30, 2018, at 8:54 AM, Brian Norton <wrote: Good morning,
As stated in the insight at end of this message, even the blind and 
deaf can hear the knock if they  open themselves to kindness and 
compassion. They can see and hear with their hearts. Also, with our  
efforts in the NFB , we can only try to open access but we cannot 
accomplish this without support  from other NFB DB members. Are you 
attending the convention? I will be there, so please call or  text me. 
If possible, talk to me later this afternoon or evening. Right now, I 
am going for the  demonstration against the immigration policy of 
separating families. Keeping faith will prevent  frustration.
Peace and love,
Brian
Forwarded message:
From: Our Daily Bread
Subject: Light of the World
Light of the World
One of my favorite pieces of art hangs in the Keble College chapel in 
Oxford, England. The  painting, The Light of the World by English 
artist William Holman Hunt, shows Jesus holding a  lantern in His hand 
and knocking on a door to a home.
One of the intriguing aspects of the painting is that the door doesn’t 
have a handle. When  questioned about the lack of a way to open the 
door, Hunt explained that he wanted to represent the  imagery of 
Revelation 3:20, “Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone 
hears my voice and  opens the door, I will come in.”
The apostle John’s words and the painting illustrate the kindness of 
Jesus. He gently knocks on the  door of our souls with His offer of 
peace. Jesus stands and patiently waits for us to respond. He  does not 
open the door Himself and force His way into our lives. He does not 
impose His will on  ours. Instead, He offers to all people the gift of 
salvation and light to guide us.
To anyone who opens the door, He promises to enter. There are no other 
requirements or  prerequisites.
If you hear the voice of Jesus and His gentle knock on the door of your 
soul, be encouraged that He  patiently waits for you and will enter if 
you welcome Him in. —Lisa Samra
Lord, thank You for the gift of salvation and Your promise to enter 
when we open the door. Please  help me to respond to this gift and open 
the door for You today.
Open the door to Jesus; He is patiently waiting for you.
INSIGHT: Why does Jesus, like Moses and the prophets before Him, remind 
us that it’s possible to  see without seeing, to hear without hearing, 
and to think without understanding? (Matthew 13:15;  Deuteronomy 29:4).

Subject: Principle above Personality | NFB Mission Statement | Comments
"You cannot depend on your eyes when your imagination is out of focus."
~Mark Twain
Brooke muses on the 'sour grapes' trial currently tabled until Feb. 
2017 board meeting .
 ~’It's an imperative to place principle above personality, forever 
protecting ones virtues, one  virtue being Courage.’ ~bre (brooke)
~The virtue of courage is the middle ground, a mean, between two 
apparent opposing principles of  leadership extremes, ie:
 1. fearful timidity and foolhardy rashness.
2. Kindness and nurturing leadership.
Virtue ethics of courage equal practical wisdom, its principle builds 
character through love  (temperance) hope (wisdom) determination. 
(justice), the very heart of the NFB and its Division  serving the 
nations DeafBlind. ~bre
I think on this dilemna too often: how best to exercise in face my 
personal understanding of  courage and how best to effectively 
communicate to make the motion to move NFB constitutional  protocols 
proceed to initiate the President of this same NFB DB Division be asked 
to step down  given an autocratic persona in leadership which has 
unjustly caused an irreparable divisiveness  among the NFB DB Division 
Board of Directors.
A collective willingness to build anew is not easy. It isn't people who 
change, It is only through  anindividual’s decision to serve others 
does the collective meld into the collective willingness to  serve "all 
things DeafBlind".
 It's been said, "when everybody is getting along everyone is doing 
their job". Take higher aim:  place principle above personality.
This takes courage.
Read Message
From:
Brooke Evans
To:
Brian Norton
Subject:
Re: FYI: MyThoughts: Expectation and collaboration
 Dictation here on way to a board meeting. Thank you for your comment. 
I will consider sending it  on with more editing, ha ha ha ha. It flew 
off my fingers and I tried to talk to Al about how I was  feeling this 
morning but one has to be within the circle to understand what is 
happening so I  decided to send it to you. Thank you again. Have a 
great day. Safe travels. I do hope you find a  bush on your travels to 
come  To call in on our next board meeting on the 14th. I also wanted 
to discuss the the air, the  atmosphere of the last meeting. It is 
about the message not the messenger although that messenger  could find 
a new job ha ha ha ha ha ha. Got to get into my meeting. Thank you 
Brian for all you do
Brooke
Judge not each day by the harvest you reap but by the number of seats 
you plant.
~ Robert Louis Stevenson
 On Jul 31, 2018, at 9:36 AM,
Original message:
I heard this recently. Diversity is being invited to the party.
Inclusion is being invited to dance.
This word, rethink played on my mind for most of the day. Re-think. 
Re-think forward. Rethink move  forward. Rethink.
Re-think ideas because my imagination must have a platform to play on.
Question. If Operation Outreach is a national debt blind division 
venue, how then does the  individual nfb State affiliate deaf blind 
division play a part if the state nfb dB division is only  under the 
state affiliate, not under the national deaf blind division?
I have been a member of the national Federation of the blind deaf blind 
division since 2011 and I  am a former national Deaf Bline division 
board member as well as a board member in the NFB Florida  Deaf Blined 
division since 2011 and... never ever at any time did I ever know that 
the national  Deaf blind division was totally separate and apart from 
and/or given autonomy from any state NFfB  dB Division.
I am absolutely shocked. I learned this only about a week before the 
2018 national convention in  Orlando when I asked the question of my 
state affiliate president, Denise Valkema, who answered  with, the NFBF 
db division is a component of the NzBFlorida affiliate only.
This answer gave me the answer for the seemingly rudeness of the 
national deaf blind division  president and not responding to three 
very specific email the past year from myself to her  inquiring and 
giving reasons why we could work together. Never did I have a reply 
from her Or any  other national division officer be at the deaf blind 
division, any other state deaf blind division  officer, or the national 
Federation of the blind and it’s liaisons to the national deaf blind  
division or anyone else from the top all the way to the bottom telling 
me that no matter what I  said or did was futile because we are not 
connected with the national deaf blind division.
So why did I pay my dues to the NFBDBdivision? To vote? To vote for 
something that has no  connection whatsoever with its NFBDB Operation 
Outreach,OO, of state divisions?
To realize I have been ignored due to a policy I was absolutely unaware 
the separation of our  divisions existed.
am I sad? Am I feeling helpless, hopeless? I am not able to say how I 
feel. I am still quite  shocked with this discovery that we are not 
anoutreach of the national deaf blind division. I feel  like I have 
been had. Not a good place to be. No wonder no wonder anything I said 
or did had no  legs to it.
These are just my thoughts for today only. I did want to share with you 
just because. Period.
 .
Brooke
Date:

From:
Brooke Evans
To:
benorton at samobile.net
Subject:
Frozen Crabs and the Blonde
Hi Brian, I just had to send this to you… LOL. Enjoy it, enjoy your 
day. Happy studies. I am glad  for you. Brooke Frozen Crabs And The Blonde
A lawyer boarded an airplane in New Orleans , with a box of frozen 
crabs, and asked a blonde  stewardess to take care of them for him.
She took the box and promised to put it in the crew's refrigerator. He 
advised her that he was  holding her personally responsible for them 
staying frozen, mentioning in a very haughty manner  that he was a 
lawyer, and proceeded to rant at her about what would happen if she let 
them thaw  out.
Needless to say, she was annoyed by his behavior.
Shortly before landing in New York , she used the intercom to announce 
to the entire cabin, "Would  the lawyer who gave me the crabs in New 
Orleans , please raise your hand?"
Not one hand went up .... So she took them home and ate them and they 
were simply delicious.
Two lessons here:
1. Lawyers aren't as smart as they think they are.
2. Not all Blondes are dumb.

Original message:
> Dear FOCB Family,

> I am so very sorry to tell you that our beloved Brooke Evans passed away
> this morning at 4:30 AM. She had been fighting 3 types of cancer for over a
> year and was in remission but contracted several infections that her body
> was too weak to fight off.

> Brooke will always be remembered for her kind and generous heart and her
> advocacy work on behalf of the Deaf/blind community. She was a FOCB Board
> Member and organized the Support Group and annual symposium for individuals
> with vision and hearing loss. Brooke also helped organize the National
> Federation of the Blind of Florida State Convention and was honored as a
> Woman of the Movement and awarded Member of the Year by the Palm Beach
> Chapter.

> We will miss Brooke very much and our prayers are with her husband, Al, and
> family.

> Sincerely,

> Carolyn Lapp
> Executive Director
> Florida Outreach Center
> For The Blind, Inc.

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