The distractions of the trip to the Napa Valley combined with the opportunity to visit with Daisy Bagwell, his sweetheart, provided a wonderful diversion for Harold Shryock. His health improved so much that he even resumed his studies. Still not robust, he convinced himself that he didn't have to compete for the highest grades in the class.
Dr. Edward Risley, now dean of the School of Medicine, remembered that Harold had done well in his chemistry studies with the dietetic students years before. So, he then made a concession that not only helped the struggling young man but also accommodated the needs of the College of Medical Evangelists (CME).
Harold became a half-time teacher and a half-time student. He taught dietetics students organic chemistry, the same course he'd taken as a special student four years earlier. No one foresaw the young medical student had just begun an early apprenticeship for his life work. This special program provided Harold experience in teaching that became ultimately more valuable to him and his future career in education than the progress he made toward becoming a physician. He enjoyed being a teacher more than he enjoyed being a student. In addition to teaching organic chemistry to dietetic students, he planned and taught a small course in psychology. Unseen, the hand of Providence was preparing Harold to become a counselor.
But there was another potential problem facing the young couple as they looked to the future. Out of concern for their only son, the Shryocks had sheltered Harold from many of life’s realities. They'd known of occasional girlfriends and understood that Daisy was special. To meet that challenge head on, Harold invited Daisy to visit him in Loma Linda. If being the focus of Harold’s affections made Daisy feel that she was under his parents’ scrutiny, she certainly didn’t show it. Harold happily, and with great relief, observed that both his parents received her cordially. So far, so good.
During the next three days, the couple continued to build their relationship. By now, Daisy had been at her new job at the Stanford Hospital in Palo Alto for three months. She had been working 12-hour shifts on the men's ward and had interesting stories to tell. Many of the patients were college students, some injured in athletic activities. When one of the patients tried to get familiar with Daisy, she slapped him in the face, much to the amusement of the other patients. Daisy had spunk. Thereafter, she had no difficulty maintaining her dignity.
The three days passed all too quickly. Harold reluctantly drove Daisy to Glendale to connect with her ride home. On the way, they summarized the progress they'd made in their growing relationship and confided in each other their interests, hopes, and convictions. Most importantly, they admitted that their love for each other had grown even stronger.
So began quarterly visits, alternating between Loma Linda and Mountain View, California, carrying the two love-struck young people ever closer to the decision they both knew would come sooner or later.
In the meantime, they endured months of separation, miles of travel by train and car, many painful good-byes, and hours of soul-searching. Then one day as the couple sat together in the Shryock family car, Harold pulled from his pocket a new, white gold engagement watch and held it up for his companion to see. “Daisy Bagwell,” he asked softly, “will you marry me?”
“Yes,” Daisy responded, eyes shimmering with joy.
They quickly planned for wedding bells to ring that summer, 1929. A summer wedding would fit neatly into Harold’s educational program, too. By July 1929, he'd complete his sophomore year at CME. Daisy could work as a registered nurse, perhaps at the White Memorial Hospital. It all sounded so absolutely perfect.
But, Providence had a different plan in mind—one that would help Harold mature even more and force him to declare emotional independence from his well-meaning parents. It would also demonstrate Daisy’s commitment to Harold as a unique individual, a man she knew might never become a doctor.
Just past the halfway mark of his sophomore year, Harold began experiencing some of the same mysterious symptoms he'd suffered earlier, though this time they were not as debilitating. When Daisy visited him in Loma Linda at the end of March, the two young lovers made a heart-wrenching decision. In order to keep the illness from worsening, Harold would drop out of medical school…again.
Even though Harold felt incapacitated by the event, Daisy experienced a strange peace of mind and a sense of security about their future. The medical student had preferred Daisy to other girlfriends because of her personality and commitment to spiritual values. He firmly believed that she'd been providentially guided through a maze of childhood hazards. Her experiences had only strengthened her confidence in God's overruling influence.
Daisy's commitment to spiritual values proved even stronger than Harold's. She declared a loyalty to him that wasn't tied to his becoming a physician. In the face of growing uncertainties, she became aware that, as a registered nurse, she might have to be the breadwinner of their new family, at least temporarily.
When they broke the news to Harold's parents, they also unloaded another bombshell. “We've decided to get married at the end of April,” they announced, standing in the Shryock living room.
“Impossible!” his mother Stella gasped.
His father Alfred lifted his hands to try to quell the building storm. “Listen young people. While we're both thrilled that you've found each other, getting married on such short notice is simply not acceptable. There's so much to do, so much planning, organizing, letting friends and family adjust their schedules for the event. We've got to print the invitations, arrange for—”
“Dad,” Harold interrupted. “We're not asking whether we can get married in four weeks. We're telling you.”
To be continued…