Beacon Apr 2024

April 2024 THE BEACON Page 9A
FROM
H ere
By
Ollie
Roehm
As I write this, everything
looks like it always does
this time of year. Dirty.
When the leaves are
off the trees and the grass
doesn’t grow, everything
looks barren and drab. Litter
becomes exposed along
the roadsides and in the
fields and it looks disgusting.
This year it seems like
there is more litter than
usual.
OK, I was trying to be
nice.
It doesn’t “seem” like it,
there is more litter this year,
again.
Many places in our area
are truly repulsive and make
me ashamed of us.
I’ve never understood how
people can heave their trash
into our beautiful countryside
and not feel a twinge
of remorse. But I do understand
why it has become
worse. I hate to say this, but
I believe it to be true: Many
folks have become more
selfish over the last several
years and our increase in
litter reflects that.
But, I offer big thanks
to all the folks who don’t
believe the roadside is their
personal garbage can and
who care about the way their
community looks. I wish
you a happy springtime.
Rant over.
Harrison native and
legendary high school girls’
basketball coach Mary Jo
Huismann has racked up
another prestigious award.
Mary Jo recently received
the Ohio Basketball
Coaches Association John
Wooden Legacy Award.
The honor reflects the
characteristics and qualities
of Coach Wooden including
service, longevity, character,
education, and excellence.
She is currently the girls’
varsity basketball coach at
Talawanda High School and
has coached in more than
one thousand games during
her career. Mary Jo was the
coach at Mother of Mercy
High School where she
posted a 769-401 won/lost
record and was athletic director
for thirty-nine years.
She coached at the University
of Cincinnati for
four years and spent two
years coaching at Capitol
University.
Mary Jo is a member
of the Ohio High School
Basketball Coaches Hall of
Fame and has collected a
boatload of awards over her
long career.
She is the recipient of the
Women’s Sports Foundation
Lifetime Achievement
Award. Mary Jo is a member
of the Buddy LaRosa
High School Sports Hall of
Fame, the Greater Cincinnati
Basketball Hall of
Fame, and the Mother of
Mercy Hall of Fame.
Way to go, Mary Jo!
By the time you read this,
fish fry season will be in
full swing throughout our
area. I hope you take the
time to reel in a great fish
dinner and support some of
our nonprofit organizations.
Spring Cleaning for Your Marriage
By Linda Hutchinson
Every Spring, I get the bug
to do some spring cleaning.
I love to open my windows
and let the fresh air in. The
problem is that I also have to
take the time to wipe away
all of the cobwebs and bugs
that have found their way in
between the screens and windows
during the cold winter
months. A layer of dust and
grime also seems to settle on
the window sills. Please say
you have experienced this too.
I can’t be the only one…
Spring is also a great time
to clean away the dirt and
bugs that can “rot” away at
our marriages. Some of these
things can be like termites
that quickly do extreme damage,
and other things are more
like a slow fade of the relationship.
Either way, the time
has come for some spring
cleaning.
Transparency is critical to
growing a healthy marriage
especially if trust has been
broken before. Trust is the
glue that holds a relationship
together. Take the time NOW
to get rid of the things that
could keep trust from growing
and a relationship being
healthy.
Below are five basics to
help with your Marriage
Spring Cleaning:
1. Spend at least fifteen
minutes a day of uninterrupted
time talking to your
spouse. Take the time not only
to just ask them what happened
in their day but also
how they are doing. Intimacy
is built when each spouse
feels heard and understood.
Don’t let bitterness or resentment
build up like that grime
on my window sill.
2. Protect your relationship
from outside forces that want to
beat against your house and try
to steal your time and attention.
Whether it be a whiny child,
an overworking boss, or a
flirtatious neighbor, keep your
marriage protected and make it
a top priority in your life.
3. Be a united front when it
comes to kids, finances, faith,
future, etc. A house divided
against itself cannot stand. If
you come to an impasse on a
topic, get some outside help
to resolve the problem so that
the “bugs” of division and
bitterness don’t creep in to
destroy your relationship.
4. Think and speak positively
about one another whether
you’re together or not. Praise
and affirm your spouse regularly,
and you’ll make coming
home that much more enjoyable.
5. Have fun together. A family
who plays together stays
together. Life can’t always be
serious and hard. Life today can
be very stressful, and you want
your house to be a house of
peace and joy. As the weather
gets nicer, spend time outdoors
together. Go for a walk. Take
the kids to a park. Work on a
project together in the yard.
So there you have it- five
quick things you can do
TODAY to spruce up your
marriage and get it ready for a
season of joy and peace. These
are not the only things but are
five quick things that can have
quite a positive impact. Again,
if these things seem impossible
to do or out of reach for
you, get some outside help.
HOPE does exist for a better
tomorrow no matter how
much damage or “rot” has
occurred in your relationship.
Take the time now to get rid
of any residual hurt or issue
in your marriage to ensure
your relationship has the best
chance to grow and bloom into
something beautiful this year.
Linda Hutchinson is the
Executive Director of Rock
Solid Families, a faith-based
coaching organization.
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