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Twins must cope with death of their father
By LOGAN NEILL
© St. Petersburg Times, "It was extremely hard on them because he was their hero, their best friend in the world," said Amanda and Blair Morris' grandmother. As identical twins, Amanda and Blair Morris have always shared a special bond. The 9-year-olds are virtually inseparable. They share the same classes at school, the same friends, and both absolutely love to play sports. Although they share the brightest joys of life, the J.D. Floyd Elementary fifth-graders have had to share dark moments, as well, the worst of which came just 21/2 months ago. After an afternoon of playing in the yard at their grandparents house in Spring Hill, Amanda and Blair to go in and check on their father who was resting in an attempt to ease the pain from a broken leg. But when they walked in, they were shocked to find him lying unconscious on the floor. Though her father was breathing, Amanda's attempts to wake him were unsuccessful. She quickly dialed 911 for help. While waiting for paramedics to arrive, she calmly stayed on the phone with the dispatcher while Blair attended to their father. An ambulance soon arrived and with it the twins' hope that their father would be okay once he got to the hospital. Sadly, 37-year-old Bill Morris died three days later, apparently from a blood clot that resulted from the fall. For two young girls who since infancy had grown up in their father's loving arms, it was a most unthinkable loss. "It was extremely hard on them because he was their hero, their best friend in the world," said their grandmother, Beverly Morris. Mrs. Morris, who along with husband, Bill Sr., is now raising the twins, says that emotional healing for the family has been slow, but she is comforted by her granddaughters' ability to deal with their loss in their own special way. "They talk to each other in ways no one else could," says Mrs. Morris. "They're very close to one another and that has helped them to cope with things they don't understand." It's obvious when speaking with Amanda and Blair that the events of this summer are still too fresh for them to discuss openly. Yet there is no doubt they miss their father's love and inspiration, much of which he imparted as their coach with several Spring Hill YMCA youth sports teams. "He loved playing basketball with us," recalls Amanda. "He taught us everything about baseball, too. He was a real good coach." Since their father's death, Amanda and Blair have worked hard toward getting back to a normal life. Once school began, counselors, teachers and friends at Floyd Elementary offered valuable support. "We were glad to get back to school," said Blair. "Everyone is very understanding and wanting to help, and that's nice." But most important to the twins is their desire to live up to the aspirations and expectations their father had for them, said their grandmother. "He was very proud of their grades in school and that their teachers always had good things to say about them and they want to honor those wishes," says Mrs. Morris. Amanda and Blair MorrisAmanda and Blair Morris, age 9. They live in Spring Hill Grandparents: Bill and Beverly Morris Amanda's favorite subject: physical education Blair's favorite subject: art Amanda's hobbies: basketball, baseball Blair's hobbies: basketball, drawing
 © 2006 • All Rights Reserved • Tampa Bay Times
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From today's Hernando Times |
