Wednesday, May 12, 1999

Tornado widow feels pain, pride at son's kindergarten graduation

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BY PERRY BROTHERS
The Cincinnati Enquirer

Cameron Smith and his mother Crystal smile as he opens kindergarten graduation gifts. (Craig Ruttle photo) | ZOOM |

        MOUNT REPOSE — Her husband is gone, but Crystal Smith did not stand alone at her son's kindergarten gradua tion.

        The tears she shed during the ceremony Tuesday showed that Charles S. Smith — one of four victims of last month's tornado — was with her in thought.

        At Mrs. Smith's side was her mother, Barbara Barnes; behind sat Linda Bell, her sister. After 5-year-old Charles Cameron Smith crossed the stage at Milford Christian Academy in Mount Repose and received his diploma, the women hadn't a dry eye among them.

        “It's a struggle. Cameron is having a real hard time. He misses his dad, and he has a lot of anger,” said Mrs. Smith, 33, before the ceremony. “He's very excited about today. He's been working hard on the program.”

        The ceremony signaled life's persistence. Life has gone on for Mrs. Smith of Loveland and her only child despite the fact that less than

        a month ago, she attended her husband's funeral about 500 yards away at Milford First Baptist Church.

        Cameron is “the only thing that keeps me going. He looks to me for everything now, so I can't shut down,” Mrs. Smith said. “That's not to say that Mommy doesn't cry.”

        Mrs. Smith giggled proudly with the rest of the audience of about 250 as the 23young graduates sang Bible songs, recited Scripture and demonstrated their kindergarten acuity.

        Thanks to donations from the community, fellow church members and employees of the Cincinnati Eye Institute in Montgomery, where Mrs. Smith works, the Charles Cameron Smith Trust Fund will pay for the boy's tuition next year at Milford Christian Academy. Mr. and Mrs. Smith had decided together to send Cameron to the academy, before Mr. Smith's car was picked up and destroyed on Interstate 71 by the April 9 tornado.

        Mrs. Smith's co-workers at the Eye Institute established the trust fund. The company also collected money to help with bills and mortgage payments as Mrs. Smith adjusts to the financial and emotional demands of being a widowed mother after 11 years of marriage.

        The company is allowing her to work from home this summer to be with Cameron, who understands that his 40-year-old father is gone but still wants him to come home.

        “He actually asked his mom if God could let his daddy come back from heaven now,” said Linda Bell, Cameron's aunt. All you can do is be there. You can't put a Band-Aid on it.”

        Ms. Bell was there before Mother's Day to take Cameron shopping for his mom's gift. He didn't understand why he had to shop for the gift. His dad always did that.

        “If anything good can come out of all this, it seems that everybody's really watching out for one another. Whereas before, I think we just took it all for granted,” Ms. Bell said.

        As the ceremony came to an end, Ms. Bell and Mrs. Smith wiped their eyes as the graduates belted out a song with a similar theme:

        T-R-E-A-S-U-R-E,

        I'm a treasure, can't you see.

TORNADO COVERAGE

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