Pryor Scrapbook Bessie Mae, 2008

Dear Bessie Mae, Brenda (Nash) Owen 664 Pebble Springs Drive Franklin, TN 37067 April 14, 2008 Congratulations on 85 years of inspiring service to God, your family and your adopted Harding family. I am so honored to be a part of the "adopted" family. Yes, during my years at Harding, I truly felt as though I had been adopted by the Pryor family. I was totally comfortable walking into your back door unannounced to find my way to the kitchen and your welcoming hug! I think I was born to be a Regina. From the moment I arrived at Harding I was greeted and welcomed by a Regina. I never wanted to be in another social club. I didn't realize, however, what that association was going to mean to me in the future. Being a part of the Regina Social Club and having the opportunity to serve in leadership roles, prepared me for being a leader today in my career. More importantly it prepared me to be a mom, leading my son to be a Christian friend, a Christian man and hopefully, someday he will be blessed to be a Christian husband and dad. During the course of a four year college experience, there has to be disappointments along the way. What a blessing it was to know that a young girl hundreds of miles away from home could find the support and encouragement to handle whatever those disappointments might be. Maybe it was a bad grade, maybe it was a broken heart, maybe it was a Spring Sing performance that did not go as well as I had hoped, maybe it was a death in my family and distance prevented me from going home. No matter what the circumstances, your home was my home if but for a brief time. But, oh! How there were those moments of absolute thrill and excitement! The date with the boy I had dreamed about was finally going to happen, the funds to go to Ireland on a summer mission trip had arrived, my name was on the list of those selected to be in Uncle Bud' s chorus, and the beautiful parties in your living room where we all learned to be a lady! Whether happy or sad, it is all of these experiences that are working to make me a stronger Christian woman today. I am so thankful for the Harding experience I enjoyed between 1976 and 1980. I wish I could be there on April 25thfor the celebration in your honor. So many lives continue to be blessed today because of your influence in the past. May God' s richest blessings be upon you! I love you! Brenda (Nash) Owen·