If any of you have a chance to attend an event at the Baker Street Station, you should take the opportunity to see a historic Fort Wayne site that's been lovingly restored instead of demolished or neglected into ruin. I went there last evening for the 23rd annual lighting of the Holiday Memorial Tree sponsored by Visiting Nurse & Hospice Home. You can still buy a light on the tree for $25 -- or two for $40 -- in memory of loved ones who have died. The money goes to suppot Visiting Nurse & Hospice Home's efforts to provide end-of-life care and grief support for families. Call (260) 435-3222.
The visiting nurses were a big help for my family in the last few months of my father's life, and I can't say enough good about them. The speakers last evening talked about how difficult it is to lose someone during the holiday season. I know that's so from personal experience, and it includes losing people who loved the holidays. Two people close to me lost mothers who loved Christmas. One of them has reacted by retreating from Christmas and painful memories, the other by embracing the holiday as a tribute. The fact that there's no "right" way to deal with loss is one reason agencies such as VN&HH are needed.
I have fond memories of Baker Street. We had an open lunch period when I attended Central High School, and I didn't always eat in the cafeteria. When I went out for lunch, it was to the lunch counters of three places, Baker Street, the Greyhound station and, of course, Murphys. The open middle space of the train station would be a great place for a restaurant.
(I took some photos last night, but they were lousy. The one above is from WANE-TV's website and provides great context with the train station in the background. My shots just show the tree and a part of the station's wall.)
