Family responds to tragedy with incomprehensible grace

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It was, to be sure, any mother’s worst nightmare: A vibrant 18-year-old girl shot and killed in her own backyard.

If any mother has the right to grieve, to mourn … even to hate … it is Jeri Brown.

She will never see her daughter, Megan Ripley, again.

She will not watch the young equestrienne put her horse through its paces, nor watch Megan share her enthusiasm for her sport with curious children. She will not watch her marry or have children.

A hunter’s bullet, wardens say, made certain of that.

During a season when many of us take a moment to pause and think about things we can do to make a difference, Jeri Brown has done the unthinkable.

She has asked us to pray.

Not for her daughter … but for the man who game wardens say shot and killed her.

Take a moment to digest that. Now ask yourself this: Would I have the fortitude, the grace, the faith to do the same thing?

Most of us probably wouldn’t.

A week ago, Brown logged onto mainehorse.com, an Internet Web site that her daughter enjoyed.

She responded to the concerned equestrian community with a poignant message that you may have already heard about.

Here’s Brown’s message:

“Many have asked what they could do to help us out and I have a request for you … please keep Tim Bean and his family in your prayers,” Brown wrote. “I dare say they are having a much harder time with all of this than we are. I cannot even begin to imagine how this man must feel. God had a plan and we are all a part of it.

“We trust and have the hope that Tim will heal and eventually put this behind him. Megan knew and loved one of his nieces. She let her ride Diva a few times and always answered the young girl’s questions with patience and understanding. Megan had a heart for his niece and always told me what a nice girl she was. I hope she is doing okay through this.”

So, if it were you, would you feel the same way? Could you?

On Wednesday, I made every journalist’s least favorite phone call. I called Jeri Brown in South Paris.

Understandably, she didn’t want to talk. I didn’t cajole, nor lobby for a minute of her time. I simply thanked the man on the other end of the phone line, apologized for intruding, and hung up.

The questions, I suppose, remain.

Among those: What kind of inner strength does it take to ask people to pray for a man who is charged with causing you such pain, and taking the life of someone you loved?

To take it a step further, how do I find that strength in myself? Or, does it even exist?

Jeri Brown and her family have been through an unthinkable tragedy. And they have responded with an incomprehensible grace that all of us should take note of.

With Christmas approaching, Brown has provided us with a seasonal message much more tangible than those we usually find ourselves bombarded with.

Peace on earth. Good will toward men.

Ski information sought

Winter is coming. Honest. Before you know it, all of our lakes will be iced in, and we’ll have a couple feet of fluffy snow … unless, of course, Mother Nature decides to play a joke on us again, as she did last year.

For now, though, let’s hope for the best. Snowmobilers, get your sleds tuned up. Skiers, get ready to roll. And ice fishermen … well … don’t forget the food.

In the months ahead we hope to increase the amount of information on winter sports that you receive in this space.

In addition to the regular offerings, we hope to provide a lot more information on skiing, both Alpine and cross country.

And you can help.

If you have a favorite place to ski, I hope you’ll keep your eyes peeled for special events, and let me know so that we can tell others.

If your local cross country area has made improvements, let us know. If there’s a big weekend of racing on tap, we’re interested.

And if the skiing is just so good you’ve got to tell somebody else about it, feel free to pass it along at the e-mail address listed below.

And if you’re a snowmobile enthusiast or an ice-fishing junkie … or if you’re an avid dog-sled racer, the same invitation goes out to you: If you hear something we ought to know about it, I hope you’ll pass it along.

Here in Maine, there are only a couple of ways to spend the winter: You can avoid it … or you can embrace it.

I hope most of you are like me, and that you choose to embrace the winter months, looking for new adventures.

And when those adventures arise, I hope you’ll consider sharing your stories with our readers.

John Holyoke can be reached at jholyoke@bangordailynews.net or by calling 990-8214 or 1-800-310-8600.