Lying in bed Saturday morning, my mind took me back to 1992 and to Sandra, a former co-worker at Rowan Memorial Hospital, who had given us an adorable Teddy Bear when our first child Roy was born. Shaggy, as he was later named, was Roy’s favorite stuffed animal and he slept with him every night for many of his early years. As I remembered the kindness of Sandra and so many other wonderful former RMH co-workers, I was filled with warmth and peace. “How nice,” I thought. So I decided to purposefully reminisce about people who had positively touched my life over the past 50 (some) years.

I was blessed with wonderful parents and a house full of exceptional siblings. My father, Dr. Roy Agner, was a tall man at 6’5”. Every evening when he came home from work, he would give me a big hug, lift me up in the air, and gently touch my head to the ceiling. My sister, Georgi, doted on me and created a magical childhood experience. Little did I know at the time that I was the recipient of the attention of a true “creative genius” as she would later become…Salisbury Academy being one of her many creations. Georgi knew how to lift me with her legs to let me pretend that I was an airplane flying in the sky. She entertained me and my younger sister Molly by creating a “funhouse” experience within our home where we were led blindfolded to station after station for games.

Many precious memories came to me from my school years. I thought of St. John’s Kindergarten, my wonderful teachers Mrs. Pat Epting and Mrs. Peggy Coble, and the excitement of being in “The Big Show.” My favorite part was dancing to “Raindrops Keep Falling on My Head” with a sparkly purple umbrella. At Overton Elementary School, my beautiful and kind sixth grade teacher, Mrs. Carson, helped me sew a pilgrim’s costume for my Barbie doll and taught me about the state of New Mexico and the Yucca plant. At Knox Junior High School, my Art teacher Ms. Sarah Farmer, taught me about using perspective in my drawings and nurtured my budding artistic interests.

Other figures from my past came to mind. Our babysitter, Mrs. Mary Frances Stout, taught me how to crotchet and made beautiful birthday cakes for me with marshmallow icing. Mrs. Jo Shaw, a good friend of my mother, let me pick out a kitten from the litter at her house to have as my own. I named her Priscilla. Another friend of my mother, Mrs. Fran Tannehill, showed me how to make home-made Christmas ornaments and shared her wonderful recipes with me. Her Heath Bar Cookie recipe has obtained legendary status at Christmas time in our family.

In my teenage and early adult years, there were kind folks at that time to get me through some of my more difficult years. Mr. Tom Moore called me one day to offer me a job at Rowan Drug Store in Spencer. He and his wonderful employees, Mrs. Mildred Cress and Mrs. Sara Gemeyal, groomed me and taught me the excellent customer service skills that have served me well over the past several decades. At Rowan Memorial Hospital, where I worked as a Patient Advocate for almost 7 years, I was surrounded by supportive co-workers such as Gloria Schenk and her mother Frances Bearden who took me under their wings and became my second family.

As my husband Thomas and I married and began our own family, many people have touched our lives in remarkable ways. My former pastor’s wife, Mandy Derrick, shared her homemade bread with us and the other neighbors in Meadowbrook. She also created a beautiful ring-bearer pillow for our wedding and before moving away, she dropped off her maternity clothes that she no longer needed because she knew that 5’10” women with long legs like the two of us have a hard time finding clothes that fit.

I used those maternity clothes for many years, as Thomas and I were eventually blessed with four children. Our youngest child Sam, had a rough start though, as I almost lost him when I was five weeks pregnant and then again at 18 weeks. This second incident required me to have four months of bedrest…and my other children at the time were 9, 6, and 2 years old! It was at that time in 2002 that our family touched by the “angel squad.” We were literally surrounded by support from our church, friends, and neighbors. I’ll never forget that Mary Ann Cody organized meals from other families in the community to be brought to our house at least three days per week for the entire four months.

Later on in 2014, when I again found myself incapacitated — this time from Post-Concussion Syndrome — good friend Leigh Ann Norris visited my bedside when I was so dizzy that I could not sit up without assistance and led me to Dr. Brent Messick, the physician who gave me my life back.

My mother had already passed on six years earlier by that time and Pop had been gone 15 years, God rest their sweet souls. Fortunately, they left me with the best siblings that anyone could ask for: Chris, Susie, Ben, Georgi, Sally, and Molly. They stuck with me during that difficult time and took care of me. Mom would be happy about that….which brings me to the person who most positively influenced my life during our time together on earth…my mother, Martha Mary Withers Agner. Mom would gently scratch my back every evening to help me relax before bedtime. She taught me how to say The Lord’s Prayer, took me to the Rowan Public Library, read wonderful books to me, and suggested that I enter the Miss America contest. Can you imagine?

It’s been a great morning for me of sweet, warm memories. I’m so thankful for my beloved Salisbury Community and the kind, beautiful people who have made such a wonderful impact in my life and, now, in the lives of my children: Roy, Caroline, Mary, and Sam. I know that, for the past several years, our community has been going through a difficult time in many ways, but that can be changed. As Morgan Freeman in the movie “Evan Almighty,”  said in one of his many “God” roles that he has played, “How do you change the world? One single act of random kindness at a time.” Pass it on, pass it on!

Rosemary Agner Wood lives in Salisbury.