by Lynndee Murrow Poulson

All of my comments were inspired by a quote from C.S. Lewis that I read on the airplane out to Palmdale. It was recounted by an author who had written Lewis' autobiography:

"Once before in his adult life Lewis had experienced the loss of someone to whom he was completely devoted, the writer, Charles Williams, in 1945. In the preface to Eassays Presented to Charles Williams, Lewis said: ' This experience of loss (the greatest I have yet known) was wholly unlike what I should have expected. We now verified for ourselves what so many bereaved people have reported; the ubiquitous presence of a dead man, as if he had ceased to meet us in particular places in order to meet us everywhere. It is not the least like a haunting. It is not the least like the bitter-sweet experiences of memory. It is vital and bracing; it is even, however the word may be misunderstood and derided, exciting....No event has so corroborated my faith in the next world as Williams did simply by dying. When the idea of death and the idea of Williams thus met in my mind, it was the idea of death that was changed.' " When I read this I wanted to jump from my seat and scream YES, THIS IS EXACTLY HOW I FEEL!! these thoughts then formed the framework for Teri's eulogy.

For My Big Sis:
"No event has so corroborated my faith in the promise of heaven as the past two years with Teri. I remember when we first met. It was at a MOMS Club craft night and Denise Adkins, our Membership Vice President, told me that a new woman had joined the club. She said her name was Teri Biggs and she had a 4 year old daughter named Elizabeth. She told me that this new member was the nicest person you would ever hope to meet. We were all looking forward to meeting Teri, and we waited...and waited...and waited...Teri was late. When Teri did arrive it was as if she had always been a part of our group. She had a way to relate with each person in the room: with Sue Luther it was crafting and sharing their incredible talents with eachother; with Paula Richman and Melanie Teller it was their interest in starting a playgroup for the kids; with Denise Adkins it was cooking and sharing fat free recipes; with others in the room it was something she had seen on the internet and she promised to look it up again and pass on the information, which of course led Teri and I into a discussion of computers and the internet. Our evening was over almost before it began and we all said our goodbyes. As soon as I returned home that evening I looked up Teri's e-mail address in the Compuserve directory and sent her an e-mail telling her how much I enjoyed meeting her and that I looked forward to getting to know her. As I sent off this e-mail I received one from her! From this point forward hardly a day went by that Teri and I did not exchange e-mails. We did not see each other again for a month and a half or maybe even two.

When we did finally get together in person again it was for a playgroup that Paula had put together. Of course Teri volunteered to have everyone over to her house! A few days ago I heard Tom say that Teri never met a stranger, and this is certainly true. Everyone was welcome at the Biggs' home whether she knew them or not! I will never forget that day because it was almost magical. It was a beautiful spring day in the desert and the moms (Paula Richman, Sue Luther, Kim Manton, Teri and myself) were sitting around the patio table still as could be not wanting to spoil the moment as our children (Geanna Richman, Christy Luther, Kimberly Luther, Kirsten Manton, Kevin Manton, Elizabeth, Stratton Poulson and Connor Poulson) played happily for FOUR HOURS without a single fuss or fight. Anyone who has children will recognize what a special day this was for us. As we sat and quietly talked we began to learn more about eachother, especially Teri. We heard about her many moves across the country, the time her family spent in Australia, how she met and married Tom, their home and friends in Virginia, their move to Austin and how they finally came to Palmdale.

After that special afternoon Teri and I expanded our communication repertoire to include daily telephone calls and frequent visits as well as nightly e-mails. Since we had so many communication modes we came to know each other quite well. When we were together I learned of Teri's great love for Tom, and that Elizabeth was the great joy of their lives. Over the telephone I discovered Teri's great humor and the way she could turn a phrase. I also discovered Teri's great optimism and her kindness during our telephone calls. She was never too busy to talk, and she found the silver lining in every situation. I was witness to the things that worried Teri in the dark of the night over e-mail. It was here that she shared with me the things that lay heavy on her heart. Teri was a person of great depth and dimension.

One day, Teri began calling me 'little sis,' and endearment that means a lot to me as an only child. Teri was my big sister, my advisor, my confidant, and my friend.

God has release Teri from her suffering here on earth, and has made a wonderful place for her in heaven. Now, as she sings with the hosts of angels, Teri is making a place for each of us when it is our time to stand alongside her and offer our unending praise to our Lord.

I learned a lot from Teri.
I learned about Faith after Teri's first sugery. I was sitting by her bedside, and had listened as she took several telephone calls from friends and family. When she was finally off the phone she told me that one caller had asked her if she believed in God. Teri told me that she did believed in God. Teri told me she believed that Jesus died for her sins and that she was saved. Teri told me that she prayed. She said she prayed a lot, but that she did not pray for healing. She told me that she prayed that God would give her the strength to deal with whatever was in store for her. He answered that prayer. What a simple and powerful faith Teri had. How she blessed me by sharing her faith with me.

I learned about Hope from Teri.
Her ever optimistic spirit never let her give up hope. Sometimes her hope lay in the large things...in recovery or remission...in a cure. At other times her hope lay in small things. Teri never viewed any situation as hopeless. Hope was her lifeline.

I learned about Love from Teri....And from Tom.
I had the privilige to share several intimate moments between Teri and Tom. When Teri and Tom were married two did become as one. Their love for each other is deep and abiding. Tom demonstrated this love each and every day as he cared for both Teri and Elizabeth. Teri's love for Tom was in her eyes each time she spoke his name. Elizabeth is the great joy of their lives and Teri's legacy lives on in her as she learns from all of us, but most poignantly from Tom, to be the kind, caring, intelligent woman that her mother was. Teri wanted everyone around her to realize that nothing is more important than the time you spend with family and friends. My family took this lesson to heart and we have dramatically changed the way we live because of my big sister Teri. Teri always had love to give, and she gave it freely to everyone around her. In return she was surrounded by people who loved her dearly.

Although we can no longer meet Teri in the old familiar places, we now enjoy the vital and bracing experience of meeting her everywhere in everything. I will miss Teri, but she leaves us all with a strong presence - a strong and vital legacy of Faith, Hope and Love."

Eulogy for Teri Biggs

delivered March 29, 1997

Teri, Elizabeth and Lynndee