LITTLE LILA
by Colleen Elayne Parent Crawford
Father and Mother planned a large family,
But after five, more seemed very unlikely.
They had Daddy's two and then their three
When they asked the doctor,
"No more" was his decree.
The third child, health concerns did create.
But after a patient, full six-year wait,
Mom and Dad still wanted some more -
So little Lila was their number four.
Mother did not get her "timing" quite right,
So Lila was delivered in the doctor's car that night.
Mother used to say, "Lila was born on the go -
And kept traveling" as her life was to show.
As a young child, Lila watched her Dad,
And wanted to pound some nails, as he had.
He gave her a small hammer and some nails,
What she did with them is quite a tale!
A lone wooden fence post is what she found,
Then she took out her tools and began to pound.
They came upon her at the end of the day,
And a steel-plated "monument" she did display.
That was the beginning of her famous projects,
She finishes one, then goes on to the next!
Many of
And for Mission San Jose, she did so much.
Growing up she was tall for her age,
And she had a sense of style and proud carriage.
She is intelligent and did well in school,
Surpassing all of the others as a rule.
Lila has a sensitive, nurturing nature,
Also is inquisitive and thirsts for adventure.
To the family she was often the one
Who got us going and brought
out the fun.
She earned a scholarship to college
And in the Homemaking
Department had an edge.
She was considering making that a career,
When Dr. Deon Bringhurst did
appear.
When he proposed marriage, a choice she did make
To marry a doctor instead of
becoming one; it was no mistake.
They have a fine family; four daughters and two sons.
Raised them with care and still managed to take time for
fun.
Now Lila is a Grandma and relishes that role.
She's lived an industrious life and that pleases her, on the
whole.
There is a great deal more about her to say,
"Overwhelming" is the word that comes into play.