Story for Friday, May 5, 2000
Welcome to 2THEHEART!
We have two short stories to kick off your weekend! Both are from very special writers of 2theheart. Be sure and send them both an email!
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It's nearly Mother's Day. What do you give the woman (or women) who has always been there for you? A gift to make her feel appreciated and loved. And by all means, send your love in a 2TheHeart ecard! Schedule it to arrive before Sunday just in
case mom is not online on her special day. Here are 2theheart
recommended Mother's Day gift ideas:
*The best Chocolate in the world! With hundreds of special gift boxes to choose from! Visit Dan's Chocolates to send your mom only the best for that chocolate craving!
Celebrate Express party supplies! Everything you need to make Mom's Day special! With themes like Mary Engelbreit, Antique Roses, or beautiful coordinating solid colors, you will make Mom's day memorable!
County Fair
by Patricia Uhde - 2TheHeart's May, 2000 Writer of the Month!
We took the baby out to the 4-H fair. We entered her in the pretty baby contest. Maggie said LOUDLY, at the end..HEY SHE DIDN'T WIN! Of course we both knew there had been a mistake ; ) I hugged Maggie and told her I used to enter her every year, & she never won either. She just snickered.
We share a truth, Maggie & I. Both of us can see Trisha's soul, and her will to survive. How could she not be the most beautiful baby there? She had her foot inside heaven, and it shows on her face.
Later Tiffany and I were sitting down giving the breathing treatment, meds, and tube feeding to Trisha. A gentleman was watching us intently. Not with a "poor baby" look, just very observant. Later the rest of the family filtered out to enjoy the fair, while I sat with Trisha. He walked over toward us, like there was something he just had to ask, or say. He kind of circled, like he was uncomfortable, or unsure. When he spoke his voice cracked. "Good luck with your baby. We had one like that". He quickly disappeared into the lights and music of the carnival.
You find love and support in the strangest places when you least expect it. Tonight he prays, for my little granddaughter. The pain of his loss is made new. Fresh also is the sweetness of the time he shared.
Even a brief flame, lights the way.
Read Patricia's other writings at her Writer of the Month page on 2theheart! http://www.2theheart.com/writer_of_the_month/ This very young and beautiful grandmother is also beautiful on the inside! Patricia is donating her $50 Writer of the Month prize to the Ronald McDonald House of Louisville, Kentucky. We are proud to have Patricia as part of 2theheart! Send her an email!
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Many of you have grown to love single mom Rose Wade's stories on 2theheart. She has written such poignant stories as "Leaving the Game", "Jungle Angel", "At the Sound of the Tone", & "Opening My Eyes". The following story also contains a big surprise about the latest in Rose's life. Be sure to send her an email or a card from 2theheart!
A Nomad Finds Her Way
by Rose Wade
I have always thought of life as a journey. And since I have been with no roots most of my life, it was only fitting that when it came time to find a screen name, I would pick NoMadder to describe what I had become: a
wanderer. It's not as if I had planned to have no stability in my life. My choice of life partners had greatly contributed to my insecure state. And so inevitably, my marriage had become such a treacherous trek that continuing on that path had become impossible. Apparently, I had been walking barefooted on jagged rocks for so long that my feet had grown accustomed to being bruised and bleeding. In spite of the fact that I had become an expert at changing my own bandages, and had doggedly continued to limp steadily along; my partner had long since ventured off the path and was not coming back for me. It was apparent that infection would set in to my wounds and eventually even my best efforts to hide the limp would prove futile. Finally the wounds that I had sustained from his rejection, infidelity and abandonment had festered until I had to leave the path of my marriage entirely. I was not alone, but sometimes I think it would have been easier if I had been.
Instead, I had four children to try to carry or drag with me on the journey. We were a ragged crew, perpetually hungry and exhausted.
I longed to walk on even places, and so with shaky courage and determination, I left the rocky trail in search of the lush jungles. How could I know that the jungle would be equally perilous? But it was. It did not take long before financial entanglements began to entrap me in all directions. I was attempting to make it through the dense undergrowth without a machete and even in my state of denial, I knew I was in a dangerous position. Here I was: an inexperienced wanderer in unfamiliar territory, with four children and no map or compass to direct me. I knew God held the answers, but I had lost the capacity to sense His direction.
And so in my despair, I quit. But this was no place to set up camp. A paralyzing fear began to creep in as I realized I was no longer on solid ground! The quick-sand of depression was sucking me under with a force that terrified me. I needed a rope in the form of a purpose to pull myself out. Instead, I had come up empty. I had come to the end of my resources as well as my resourcefulness. And I was panicking. I had never planned to end up in this place alone, abandoned, and jobless with four hungry children depending on me. In my desperation, I tried one unsatisfying relationship after another. I knew I had been foolish to take matters in my own hands and obviously this was where my best efforts had brought me.
And yet the compassion of our God showed forth and heard my cries for help. He intervened and sent me John, an Army Ranger who had served in Viet Nam. He came equipped with medical supplies, a machete, a compass, a rope and a brave heart. How strong and wise he was while pulling me from the quick-sand of depression. What tenderness he exhibited as he washed and bandaged and applied ointment to my hurting feet. How relentlessly he helped me cut through the dense financial entanglements and how expertly he showed me the right direction! Even in my blindness, when I couldn't recognize him as my hero and stubbornly decided to forge ahead on my own, he patiently stood by at a distance and watched over me, prayed and waited.
Not willing to intrude in my life, he remained willing to leave me in a safe place and walk away. I am so thankful that God helped me to realize in time what this man was made of! Last week-end, my John proposed, I accepted, and my feet haven't touched the ground since! This weary wanderer has at long last found a brave soldier to help lead her around the rocky trails, past the jungles and quicksands to a level road that leads home.
Rose Wade : Nomadder@aol.com
Rose Wade is proud to announce her engagement to John Schambach. Collectively they have 12 children, 8 remaining at home. The date is set for sometime in December...........and after that the biggest Christmas
celebration ever! Send Rose a congratulations card from 2theheart & OhAngel!
www.2theheart.com
The Letter Box:
Colleen,
I say AMEN to your uplifting story "God's Beauty". God has constantly blessed me throughout my life, and he continues to do so. I'm 68 now, and every day I thank Him for the my loved ones, and the beauty that surrounds me. I just wish I could put my thoughts into words as well as you did, because a have a few stories to tell.
-Pat Lowe (in Heart Notes)
Colleen,
Your story so eloquently reminded me how beautiful life is and to appreciate my blessings and each day!
Thank you!
-Marni Kramer, MD
I love the new greeting cards on 2theheart! I sent personalized ones to all my friends, and the special 2theheart angel one to my sister. This is THE best site and gets better and keeps coming up with great new ideas all the time! I am forever a 2theheart fan!
-Mellissa Regis, Quebec (in Heart Notes)
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