Friendship

“No man is the whole of himself. His friends are the rest of him.” ~ George Whitefield

Last week, my family, along with the fine film crew from Franklin Springs Family Media, spent several glorious days in beautiful Lewis County, West Virginia. Our purpose was, in part, to gather for the official “release party” of my book – Stonewall Jackson: The Black Mans’ Friend. But our purpose was much broader than that. We gathered there with many friends, most of them new, to celebrate the life and multi-generational legacy of Thomas J. “Stonewall” Jackson. Staying on the property that was Jackson’s boyhood home added to the sense of history and providence we already felt. Much work was done on the upcoming documentary about Jackson’s life before the Civil War. Our hosts were most gracious, even treating us all to a wonderful meal on Friday evening at the four-star Stonewall Resort.

On Saturday evening, we all gathered at historic Jackson’s Mill for a wonderful supper and a time of fellowship. C-Span’s Book TV was there to record the event for some future airing and Ken Carpenter of Franklin Springs showed us some film clips from the upcoming documentary. The theme of the evening was the same as my book: Friendship. As Providence would have it, a very nice gesture came from Susan Church and the Board of Directors at Jackson’s Mill. Pictured here is a “Friendship Ball.” Giving a Friendship Ball dates to an old English tradition and is symbolic of lasting friendships. Appalachian Glass handcrafted these beautiful gifts and each one of the 19 limited edition balls were given to members of the film crew, my family, and other distinguished guests at the conclusion of the gala. Etched on this beautiful, historic piece on one side are the words: “Thomas J. Jackson: The Black Man’s Friend 1824-1863.” On the reverse was the date of our event. More posts and pictures coming on this historic event over the next few days.