Life's truest happiness is found in friendships we make along the way. ~Author unknown



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MAKE A DIFFERENCE! Our newest branch of 2TheHeart is truly making a difference! Angels2TheHeart is a group who sends love, encouragement and "happy mail" to those who need it! Learn more about this fantastic group here: www.2theheart.com/angels2theheart

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There will be no 2TheHeart on Tuesday, as I will be whining and being a big baby after having my wisdom teeth out on Monday. (Does this mean I'll lose all my wisdom too?) 2TheHeart will be back Wednesday - have a great weekend and be blessed by John's very moving story. (John, what's a Cheezie?)



"Cheezies"
By John Gaudet
With special thanks to Chantalle Doray

Some of the best memories I have as a youth were the brief stays we enjoyed at the Salvation Army Summer Camps. It was a chance to get away from the troubles of home and foster placements. But most importantly it was a safe place to play and we could be just like all the other kids for a week in summer.

The Camp was situated on a beautiful lake in southern Saskatchewan and we all got to enjoy the pleasure of fishing and tenting like real campers. The counselors were wonderful people who really seemed to care and at night when you would hear the muffled sounds of someone crying in the dark, a soft comforting voice of the camp counselor would always follow, soothing not only the child that was crying, but all of us there. We all felt like someone cared and loved us. That is truly medicine for the heart of a broken child.

It was in my second year of camp that I met Gary. He was a funny gangly kid with worn pants and constantly ripped T-shirts. He was always the first in line for dinner and if you didn't see him going up for seconds and thirds then you were probably too busy eating your own wonderful meal.

Being children of broken homes we could all appreciate the rare treats of milk and fruit we were served and we all filled up to our hearts content. It was in this second summer that I was officially called a camp helper. Being that I had been there the year before I was assigned a new child and my mission was to help him get used to camp life.

As fate would have it they chose Gary for my camp buddy and it started a special summer long friendship that I think of to this day.

Gary was always asking questions about lunch, in fact he asked about supper, lunch, breakfast and snacks. He was obsessed with eating and even I could see that he must have been eating very little at home.

One day they called us in for mail and I received a card from my father. In it was a crisp new five dollar bill. I had never had so much money and I couldn't wait for canteen that night so I could get candy just like all the other kids in the camp.

As I stood in line with anticipation growing in me like a balloon I saw something that shocked and saddened me. Gary was retrieving discarded candy and things from the garbage and eating them. I stood in disbelief. I had gone hungry before and stolen some food at times but never had I considered this. I walked over and told him my dad sent five dollars and I asked him if he wanted to share some candy. His face brightened up and he said that he was craving cheezies, in fact he said "I got cheezies floating around in my head". That phrase cracked me up and we both got in line laughing like a couple of hyenas.

As we sat by the lake eating cheezies he said he wanted to be a farmer when he got older so he could grow food and have his own place. I told him that was probably a pretty good Idea.

We lost touch after that summer and as fate would have it I never saw him at camp again after that. I still think of those summers and I thank God for the Salvation Army and I always envision that little boy, as a grown man, out planting a field some where with cheezies floating around in his head.


John Gaudet copyright 2003
drmrjohn@sasktel.net

John is our February Writer of the Month and has written "The Eraser", "Dad's Belt" and "A Bag of Kindness" & "Dad", all found in our archives: www.2theheart.com/archives . John lives in northern Saskatchewan, Canada with his wife Chantalle and eight-year old daughter Charisa and looks forward to the email he receives from our 2TheHeart family!


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The Letter Box:


Mary-Ellen,
What a truly beautiful story. We have a chubby, cherry-red Cardinal who, for several years now, has been our year-round companion. The whole family watches for him daily;It is so fun to know he loves it here with us. Reminds me of your little Robin.

I love your writing! It's almost like I am reading a Thomas Kincaid painting - vivid and illuminating! Just gives me the same warm and inspiring feelings.

Amanda Krug
krug_family@iquest.net