The Renfrow Story

This morning my husband, Craig, and I were talking as we enjoyed our morning drinks. This is the delightful way we start every day and is when we work through most of the issues of our life. This morning it was all about this book project and the excitement of making the news public this weekend. The response has been great (thank you all!) which got us thinking about how do I make sure that I maintain the primary focus and stay true to my intention for honoring my dear friend, without crossing any threshold that could make her or her daughter, Alice, feel uncomfortable. That is something I would never want to do!

Craig asked if I had thought about making a mission statement, even if it was just something informal for my own use, which got me thinking. So if I were to write a mission statement, what would it be?

I have three main goals that are driving my vision. I want to 1) share her story, 2) share her inspiration, and 3) bring pride to all Grinnellians.

1. Share her story: It’s is an incredible story! She is a living link to the earliest years of Grinnell history. Her grandfather literally came to Grinnell in 1859 as he escaped slavery via the Underground Railroad. She was born and raised in Grinnell, encouraged and inspired by Grinnellians, made history when she graduated from Grinnell College in 1937, lived a life giving and inspiring others, and is an official “super ager” at 108 years old! She is simply amazing in so many ways and more people should know her story.
2. Share her inspiration: She regularly shares the wisdom that her mother taught her – that no one is any better than you! The events of her life are certainly fascinating, but this guiding inspiration and message that she has followed and shared throughout her life is a message that people – especially children – need to hear. That is why it is the title and will be a repeating theme in the story.
3. Bring pride to all Grinnellians: From my vantage point as a Grinnell College alumni and a 30+ year community member, I am keenly aware of the town-gown divide that has always been present but, in recent years, seems to have grown even wider. The college and town have a deeply intertwined relationship. Neither would exist without the other. They are synergistically linked, each growing stronger as they work with the other, and struggling more when they are in opposition. Edith loves both, as do I. It’s not that she doesn’t see the shortcomings, she simply refuses to give those things the power to change her love. She was embraced and nurtured by the community for 18 years and by the college for 4 years. She represents both. And both community and college Grinnellians should take pride in and inspiration from her story.

So I guess it’s not really a mission statement, more of a mission ramble. But I wanted to get something in writing that states what my hopes and dreams are for this project. I am blessed to be able to talk to Edith and Alice throughout this process. I am excited to visit them this coming Saturday to share the text of the story with them for the first time. We will talk through all of the concerns and make sure that they are both ok with what is happening every step of the way – making sure they feel honored and respected throughout this project is essential to me.