God’s ways of loving and speaking are unique to every
individual. Personally, God tends to teach me important lessons in a clear and
tangible way through His creation in nature. A year ago I was sitting in
silence on a river bank and thinking again about God and how detailed His work
of art is in nature and how much more of Him is revealed to us the closer we
pay attention and study it. That is what I enjoyed most about majoring in
Wildlife and Fisheries sciences, especially the ecology classes, learning more
about God’s design for how everything works together. What my professors all
taught me has only enriched and brought more detail to these nature reflections
with Jesus. As I’ve already told this story in a past blog, a bobcat snuck up
on me while I was sitting near that river. It was about 15 yards away from me
when I first noticed. When he saw that I saw him he jumped back. He was a
really beautiful big cat and at the same time, completely terrifying. He
growled at me and that was pretty unnerving to hear. I was definitely scared,
but didn’t scream or cry. I instead remained calm and stood up and he jumped
back some more still watching me intently. Then I took a slow cautious step out
away from the steep river bank and he went back some more. So I decided he was
afraid, more than I was, and I took another step out and he ran off. Fr. Kirby
invited me to keep thinking about that experience. How when we encounter God,
or He places something in our life, it can be beautiful, overwhelming, and
terrifying all at the same time. We have to remain calm and trust Him speaking
in our hearts to know the next step to take. Then we walk, trusting God with
our whole life each day one step at a time. I saw this lesson lived out in a
very special professor I had, Dr. R. Douglas Slack.
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Dr. Slack's Retirement party. I wish I had a better quality
photo but unfortunately this is the best I have. |
Saturday November 14, 2020 the world lost a tremendous man. Dr.
Slack had been on my mind and in my prayers every now and then over the past
several years since he retired. A few summers ago I found a little whooping
crane Christmas ornament that made me think of him and intended to send it to
him then with a thank you letter for all he did for me in school. For one
reason or another it ended up being delayed until this last December I decided
I ought to stop and take time to get it to him. I emailed Dr. Silvy looking for
an address and his response was that Dr. Slack wasn’t doing so well in a
special care facility, but gave me an address. I immediately thought the worst
and hated I had waited so long to do this. I thought I was too late. I hurried
to write him the letter I had always wanted to, telling him what a beautiful
impact he had made on my life as a student. This is mostly that letter just
rephrased to share about and honor the incredible man he was.
When I transferred into Texas A&M I was coming from a small
town where I knew everyone and so felt very lost in the crowd at this
university. I had one of Dr. Slack’s classes my second semester and sat near
the front in a large lecture hall. I remember a time when on my way to another
class I crossed paths with him in a sea of other students hurrying to and from
their classes and he acknowledged me, smiled at me and said hello how are you!?
It caught me off guard, but made my whole day, that one of my professors
remembered me and could pick me out in a crowd. It really means a lot for a
person to know they are seen and it sure meant a lot to me day.
Dr. Slack was a professor that took genuine care and interest in
each and every student he taught. I am grateful for his support and
encouragement to me which began with me visiting him in his office one day
during that same 2nd semester. It was my first as a Wildlife
and Fisheries student. I remember being very discouraged by the natural history
of vertebrates class and lab. There were a lot of scientific names of species
to know. When I met him at his office I told him I wasn’t sure what I was doing
anymore or where I was going with this degree or if I was even cut out for it.
He talked with me for almost an hour that day. He asked me questions about
where I went to school before and where I grew up and about my hobbies and why
I was interested in this degree and all. He took time to get to know me. He as
well shared some of his own experiences. I remember us talking about the
whooping cranes because that was his most treasured work. All in all, he
encouraged me to not get down, to remember why I chose this degree and that
with good effort I would make it. With this he again made me feel cared for in
the sea of people at A&M which gave me the confidence I needed to go
forward. Anytime I faced challenges thereafter in any of my classes I always
thought back to that conversation and knew I would survive and would make it. I
am so glad I stayed and stuck with it.
I am thankful for the wisdom he shared and am glad I was able to
take as many classes possible with Dr. Slack before he retired. He had so much
he wanted to teach and impart on us. I liked his personal quotes and other
quotes that he would add at the top of an assignment, and the syllabus. It was
little things like that that showed he really put himself, his heart into
teaching. He cared so much about each of us getting a valuable lesson, rather
than to just be “passed along.” Because he cared, it guided us to care too.
That was something I think I encountered with every professor I had in that
department which really made it stand out.
The evening seminar classes were especially the best. I was able
to do that for two semesters. Those really helped me to be more prepared for
the future. In those, Dr. Slack challenged us to really apply what we had
learned at Texas A&M in a real and tangible way. I remember with the last
one he had us make a plan for our “dream.” I took that assignment very
seriously. I was overwhelmed by it at first and even put it off for a while
thinking he was asking us to have life figured out which I definitely did not
at that point and still don’t. I brought this assignment to prayer and even up
in discussion with one of the pastors I was close to at St. Mary’s. Figuring
life all out wasn’t what he was doing obviously, he was giving us tools to go
forward to reach those dreams. This was the best assignment. It made us get
serious about having goals and knowing what to do to reach them. It made us
connect with others already living out the things we imagined doing as well as
got us to collaborate and learn from each other in the class. I still use those
tools, and I know I wouldn’t be where I am if it were not for that. I’ve used
this when trying to get information on teaching projects, or when making a
presentation for a talk, or retreat planning. This has as well even helped me
to grow in my spiritual life with Jesus. I have a clear idea of where I want to
be, as close to Jesus at the foot of His cross as possible. I realize the
importance of collaborating and sharing faith and getting all the information I
can. I seek advice from and look to others already living their faith as I want
to. With God, this has helped me to move forward and get closer to that goal
with every action and decision I make. That class was a beautiful gift of
formation and growth in life for me and has continued definitely to be so.
Something he told me when I did my final presentation for that
class stood out, and I wrote it down not long after. When I did finally present
that evening, I talked about how my goal in life is to serve and give of myself
for others, how the reason I enjoyed this major was learning more about what
all God put into His design and how to take the best care for it. Then I was
honest that I wasn’t sure how I would combine both in the future. When I
finished Dr. Slack told me I did a great job and he could tell I got a lot out
of this project. Then he said, “Alyson I think your goal to serve and your major are most
definitely related and you just defined how as you were speaking, being a good
Christian means to be a good steward and often we forget that. Science and
faith go hand in hand the gap really isn’t as big as most people think it is if
you look deeper into it. We need people like you in this field with those
values to promote good healthy stewardship and conservation practices in our
environment.” I was very touched by that. I had never looked at it this way
before and he put things in order and made it clear. What he said gave me new
motivation to see how I could serve God, reach out and give of myself to His
creation and His people using what I have learned.
As I’ve moved forward from that, what Dr. Slack told me that
evening how they are related, has definitely been true in my life and I know
that this connection and appreciation for His creation is something special and
unique that will continue to go forward with me no matter where I end up. With
teaching and just with how I try to live conscious of creation and aware of
God’s beauty and love in it, I’m motivated because biodiversity is God’s gift
to us. And as I said above, God’s creation is a tremendous gift in which He
uses to speak to me and teach me.
Thinking on the bobcat encounter and what Jesus taught me then,
as I said I witnessed it lived out in Dr. Slack. His diagnoses of Parkinson’s
disease probably came with some fear and even sadness knowing how that disease
plays out. I’m going to say though there was even a beauty in it for him too.
It takes a man like Dr. Slack to see that beauty. The beauty is knowing the
reality of his situation, the limitations that would soon come. With that he
made the decision to retire. In his last year at Texas A&M I was blessed to
have him as a professor during both the fall and spring semesters, I witnessed
him taking that next step with a calm strength and trust in the Lord as he
embraced the challenges and unknowns ahead not holding anything back. He
continued that year to give everything he had in teaching us, as he had every
semester before. I imagine he poured out even more of himself in that last
year. Dr. Slack always had a plan for the future which gave him freedom to live
fully in the present, never worrying or hurrying that I saw as he was
consistently attentive to all of us, his students.
A few very special things happened in that last year I want to
high light. Towards the end of the fall semester he and his wife invited our
small seminar class over for dinner out their house. They pulled out all the
stops using the fine china and even little dishes for salt I had never seen
used in my life. That was so special to be in their company. He cooked his
specialty, “Slack’s Paella.” I still have that recipe book and have cooked the
Slack’s Paella a few times when entertaining guests. The page is a bit messy
now as proof! My guests always enjoyed it though I’m not sure I have ever been
able to make it as tasty as his was that evening. During the last spring
semester he took our seminar class for a trip to the museum in Houston to see
an IMAX about the orphaned baby orangutans and elephants, Born to Be
Wild. That was very generous of him to take us all out that day. I
bought that DVD when I became a teacher and showed it to every class I had,
even the religion ones to lead us into a discussion about caring for God’s
creation. Finally I remember his last lecture, I was emotional that day
listening to him and am a little teary eyed now thinking back on it. He came
dressed to the nines in a tuxedo. He dedicated the lesson to his grandsons. He
with every fiber of his being poured out his passion for nature to all of us in
that last lecture. It was beautiful and I still have the notes I jotted down
from it. We then had a big cake to celebrate him. In all of this Dr. Slack set
a good example for us about giving our all even in the face of challenges in
life. He as well showed us how important we were to him, we were more than just
students, he cared for us like family.
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At the IMAX in our 3D goggles |
I remember hearing that Dr. Slack retired so that he could spend
as much time with his family and grandkids that his health would allow him to
knowing it wouldn’t last. Then beyond retiring from what I understand form a
brief conversation with Dr. Silvy a few years ago is that he didn’t stop giving
of himself to others and to conservation efforts even as his illness was
progressing. This was his life’s vocation, loving and caring for his family and
as well God’s creation in conservation as they go hand in hand. I was glad to
hear that about him and how things were going then. It made me think of St.
Pope John Paul II who as well suffered Parkinson’s disease. I gave you Dr.
Slack a little medal of St. John Paul II when he retired. With that
diagnosis this Saint as well lived as Dr. Slack did until his death. He
continued to pour himself out in love for all people and give a great example
to the rest of us of how to live in love even in suffering. This is a
Christ-like attribute. In the person he was, Dr. Slack, in all that he taught,
in how he lived, in how he cared for others, he showed so many of us the
greater importance of humanity in all of God’s creation. How all we were
working for in our conservation of biodiversity efforts would point back to,
and was for the greater goal, of caring most for our human family, future loved
ones, and everyone in the world. The following quotes comes from one of his
syllabi.
“We have but one
biosphere. We have a responsibility to ensure that we
leave this earth ecosystem to our offspring in at least as
good condition as we inherited it. Those of us so deeply honored to contribute
to Conservation Science have a responsibility to use our skills, or
science, and our creativity to maintain the earth’s biodiversity.” – Doug Slack.
Dr. Slack exuded this reality and vital truth in everything he
did and said. This is what this field of study is or should be all about when
you get deep into it. Caring for the environment, the home God has given us as
a gift, is how we can care for all people world-wide, now and in the future,
especially the poor and vulnerable who have little resources already and end up
being affected most by the loss of a healthy natural environment. So, the way I
see it Dr. Slack’s work in conservation, in research and in teaching and in his
participation in policies and such was and is all a great act of charity for
the world. This truth to live by is what I learned from his life of humble,
selfless stewardship, even though I only knew him a short while. His life is a
great blessing. I see this, and God sees infinitely more. I would imagine when
he did meet Jesus that he would be one Christ smiles at and says “Well done my
good and faithful steward.”
When I sent that letter and little whooping crane out to Dr.
Slack I was very glad to receive a letter back from his wife telling me how he
was doing and even included a recent Christmas photo. She invited me to come
visit if I was ever in the area. Some chance circumstances lead me to be in
Austin for the day back at the end of February of this year. While I was eating
lunch I thought maybe I should call and see if they don’t mind having a
visitor. Out of shyness I almost did not as I worried that it was too last
minute of a request. They both graciously invited me over for a couple hours.
To my surprise, I found Dr. Slack in good spirits and up and happy to see me.
He had the little whooping crane hanging in his room. We took a walk and he
gave me a tour of his home telling me all about it and the beyond excellent
care he was in. What I was most amused by is that he was still studying and
observing! He was of course limited by being confined to the facility so he
took to watching people, his fellow residents, and learned quite a bit from
them! Just further proof this was his vocation and passion to understand and
appreciate better God’s creation. We talked for a long time just catching up
and all. I learned a lot in those few hours. We talked about my letter and the
importance of telling people how you appreciate them when you get the chance.
He and his wife shared how they ended up in such good care there in Austin and
I learned about the value and freedom in having an idea of what you hope for
and setting out towards that even though you may not have all the details
figured out. You just have to trust Jesus and live one day at a time in
gratitude.
This is what I witnessed in both he and his wife that day, two
people living with a lot of grace, gratitude, and acceptance, appreciating all
they had in life as best they could where they were. This called to mind a
cactus lesson God gave me once. I found a prickly pear cactus growing way up
high in a tree. How it got there, who knows, but it was thriving. It made me
think about how God can make good no matter where we end up in life even if it
seems far from the norm or doesn’t make sense to us. Sure living in this
facility wasn't in the plan before his illness was discovered, but that is
where life lead them and to me it seemed they went beyond making the best of
it, not just surviving but thriving.
Mrs. Slack had to go to a meeting and left me with Dr. Slack for
a bit alone. We talked some more about the classes I had with him and what I
was doing then at present. I was getting ready to make my 30 day silent retreat
and he was very interested to know how that would all turn out for me. So I
planned to make another visit when I returned to share my adventure with him
and his wife. Before I left he said, “Dr. Silvy really had you worried I was
dying didn’t he?” I said yes to be honest he sure did. “He gave me a good hug
and with a big smile said, “well don’t you worry I am doing good and plan on
being around another 5 or 10 years.” With that I left feeling very grateful for
this man’s life and very much loved.
Unfortunately we all know what happened shortly thereafter in
March of 2020. So a 2nd trip was never possible, which made me
incredibly sad especially learning what happened to his health once isolation
began. I don’t want to dwell on that though because at the same time there is
so much to be grateful for. I’m entirely grateful for a lot. I’m grateful Jesus
inspired me to finally reach out and take action to get that little whooping
crane to him. I am very thankful for the sense of urgency in Dr. Silvy’s email.
I’m grateful I did make the call to visit them rather than give into my worries
and shyness. I’m grateful they were free for me to visit. I’m grateful for
those last few hours I had to be in his presence again for the first time since
he had retired. I’m grateful for all the most valuable life lessons he taught
me both as a student and when I was with him again earlier this year.
I invite you to pray with me for the soul of Dr. Slack and as
well for his wife and family during this difficult time. Every loss is hard but
a man like Dr. Slack is particularly hard to lose. He was a man who freely let
the love and goodness of Jesus work through him, so many encountered the love
of Christ in being known and cared for by Dr. Slack. I plan to honor his life
by continuing to live in awareness, wonder and awe in appreciating the great
gift of God’s creation. I as well want to live by Dr. Slack’s example,
especially when faced with overwhelming challenges and fear. Take things one
step at a time calmly trusting Jesus, living in gratitude for the great good in
all things, and still give Him my all in every present moment no matter what
happens or where I am all for God’s greater glory.
Thank you Jesus for the incredible gift of Dr. Slack
The official Obituary for Dr. Slack can be read at this link.
https://www.dignitymemorial.com/obituaries/austin-tx/richard-slack-9903244
Dr. Slack is so special he got a whole page in my Aggie
scrapbook!
