The Back Page by Bill Dalton
December 20, 2007 04:32 am
—
In 1996 I was in my office when Paul Cronin dropped in to see me. Although I'd known Paul since childhood and welcomed his visit, I thought it unusual for him to come by without calling first. In my office he sat in such a way that he could look down at the Charles River and MIT beyond. We started with small talk and he smiled less than usual and kept glancing out the window. After a few minutes, he asked how my brain tumor was doing. I'd had a tricky but benign tumor removed a few months before and told him I was doing OK.
Paul was a former selectman (elected at age 23), state representative and U.S. Congressman. (As far as I know, the only congressman from Andover.) He was a Harvard Business School grad ('69), a successful businessman and was forthright, ambitious and smart. Paul was always interesting to talk to and was never short on good stories. He'd accomplished much and done a lot for Andover, including working behind the scenes on the municipal office project that moved the town offices and upgraded the Park.
On this day in my office, Paul spoke softly. He'd been diagnosed with a brain tumor and was weighing treatment options. I'd spent some time studying brain tumors and asked what kind he had. He told me, and we talked about options, and I knew his chances were slim. I'm sure he knew as well. Paul died on April 5, 1996, at Massachusetts General Hospital. He was 59. Twenty-two days later, on April 27, 1996, his granddaughter, Taylor, was born. Taylor's mother, Kim, is Paul and Kathy Cronin's daughter. Kim (Andover High '77) was active in Andover politics before moving a few miles away. Kathy, an excellent person, worked for the Red Cross for many years and is now retired but living in the area. Kathy and Taylor spend a lot of time with each other doing things like cooking, shopping and going to movies.
Kim and her husband, Bob Poucel, moved to Pepperell seven years ago. Kim says Pepperell reminds her of the way Andover used to be. They like where they live so much that they tolerate long commutes to work, Bob to IBM in Lexington and Kim to Massachusetts General Hospital. She runs the blood donor program at MGH and she likes her job, largely because she feels she is doing some good. Taylor thinks her mom's job is easy and fun. Kim says Taylor has quite a few opinions and doesn't mind expressing them, especially in the realm of politics. Kim says having strong opinions comes naturally to Taylor and she seems to acquire them by herself. Kim thinks Taylor would have amused her dad. When she was in the third grade, Taylor wrote a five-page paper about her grandfather working on the Lowell National Park while he was in Congress. Kim sent the paper to an old friend and one thing led to another. At the Republican State Convention, Andy Card, then White House Chief of Staff, presented Taylor with a book from Barbara Bush. In front of the whole convention, Taylor walked to the podium and accepted the gift.
Kim was taught by her parents that giving back to the community is important, and Kim and her husband, Bob, have passed on that lesson to Taylor. When Taylor was 3, Kim started a program at MGH called "Puppy Pals" that asked blood donors to bring in stuffed animals for pediatric patients. Santa and a few elves delivered the stuffed animals to the kids under pediatric care. The elves included both Kim and little Taylor. Some of the nurses were concerned that a child Taylor's age might be upset seeing sick children. Kim talked to Taylor about this and explained it was their job to cheer up the kids and help them forget for a moment that they were sick. When the time came, Taylor talked to the kids about TV shows, toys and other kid stuff. She spent a lot of time with each child. The patients and Taylor laughed and enjoyed themselves. At the end of the day Taylor said to her mother, "We made them smile." Kim's "Puppy Pals" program grew and she and Taylor are still making sick kids smile.
Taylor has learned to do things on her own and is gaining some valuable lessons in the process. Not long ago she overheard an MGH doctor say he was involved in a Ugandan medical program and that kids were dying of malaria because of lack of equipment. Taylor approached the doctor and asked if she could raise money to send to the hospital. The doctor, a little surprised, said sure. Taylor tried to set up a lemonade stand to raise the money and had her first lesson in working through bureaucracy. When Taylor asked if she needed a permit, the police sent her to the town clerk who sent her to the health department, who sent her to a state agency that never returned her call. Exasperated, Taylor said, "It's just a kid's fund-raiser," and opened the stand. She raised a hundred bucks for the cause.
There's a lot more about Taylor, but you get the point. She was taught to help the less fortunate, and she was taught at a young enough age, and in such a way that she enjoys doing it. In the process of giving, Taylor is learning useful lessons and skills. Kim wrote to me that her dad would have been amused by Taylor. Indeed, and he'd be proud of both Kim and Taylor.
nnn
Bill Dalton is a former town moderator and selectman. He welcomes your emails at billdalton@andovertownie.com
Copyright © 1999-2010 cnhi, inc.