The Words of the Redmond Family
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The Words of the Redmond Family |
When I met Tania in 1977 she was a young, very talented upcoming pianist who had trained and performed with some of the finest pianists this nation has to offer. However, upon hearing the Divine Principle, particularly the lectures on Jesus' mission and the second coming, she put her career goals aside and joined the Unification Church with a truly zealous spirit to become a missionary for God.
I can never forget the pure spirited young girl I met in Grand Central Station in New York during a witnessing time. She had just returned from Russia on a student trip and was going to spend the summer in New York before returning to university to continue her piano studies.
She was proud of her Russian Jewish ancestry and I was impressed that she could also speak Russian quite fluently. I remember her speaking to an elderly Russian couple who happened to be visiting the center the very first time she visited our center at 43rd St. I was also impressed, even from the first time I met her, how extremely kind and considerate she was as a person. As she and I were walking to visit the center she started picking up garbage off the street and putting it in the nearest garbage cans. It made her unhappy that people would litter up the environment. Whenever she could not keep an appointment with me at the center she always phoned or left a message.
Treating anyone unkindly or disrespectfully was not a part of her nature. And over the many years of knowing Tania, I was constantly in awe over her ability to serve and give to members. Somehow, she had the amazing ability to relate to everyone and make each person feel so very special -- whether black, white, or oriental, educated or not so educated, new member or a 36 blessed couple. She was really a very sincerely giving person. Staying up all night to share with a struggling member was no problem for Tania. Fundraising all day and night to give all the money to someone in need was no problem for Tania. She never worried about what she wore or ate; she never asked for any special attention. Several times when I gave her presents for special occasions she'd give them away before even opening them to someone she thought needed to be uplifted more. She was never attached to material things.
I can never forget her warm and contagious laughter that seemed to melt away any kind of difficulties. She was always so happy to testify to True Parents and the True Children and tried with all of her sincerest heart to be an exemplary member and representative of the True Family. She was just so grateful to have met Father in her lifetime. And so grateful to have received the Blessing. She was one of the most unselfish persons I have ever known. Her heart went out naturally to those blessed couples who could not bear children. So she wanted to offer a child to such a couple. And she did. Before her illness she had hoped to offer more than one child. And even when she was dying of cancer in horrible pain in her last days, when I talked to her over the phone never did she complain or hold any resentment over her situation. Of course, she was concerned over her husband, children and family. But she had accepted in her heart that if her suffering was for some public offering she wanted to make the purest of offerings.
I am truly going to miss Tania. She has touched the hearts of many brothers and sisters around the nation. I will thank God daily that in my life I met such a person, for I have truly been humbled by her purity of heart for others. But I know that she will continue to work for God. Whenever I think of Tania, I hear the most beautiful music. I wish her much happiness and beauty in her new life. May God bless her family always. Thank you, Tania!