It's been several weeks since I've added a chapter to Our Story. If you'd like to read past posts of our story, click on the Our Story link under the Labels button on the left side of my blog!! :o)
His memories are so sporadic. It's one of the things that saddens him. She can recall so many things..he..only a few.
The one thing that makes him smile though, is the fact that he can recall many things since meeting her. His prayer...that God will bless him that he will always be able to do so.
One childhood memory he remembers well though........
It had been snowing for days. No school, couldn't go outside and play because the snow had gotten so deep..he was bored. It was so hard being couped up inside when you're 9 years old and there were so many adventures just waiting outside....
Mark lived next door. He was his best friend and they did everything together. Including getting in deep trouble.
And this time....deep was literal.
After several days of snowing you couldn't even see out of the window in the basement. It was just white. Snow was everywhere. The drifts were taller than his dad and people had given up shoveling more than a tiny path out their front door.
Bummed. He was just plain bummed.
Tired of TV and books, he was wandering around the house when the phone rang.
"Hello?"
"Hey Philip! Mark. Whatcha doin'?"
"Nuthin'. I'm bored. Wish you could come over."
"Me too. I can't get out of the house though. Mom's watchin' me like crazy!"
"Yeah. Mine too."
"Hey, Philip...I got an idea."
"What?"
"When I open my basement door, there's a whole wall of snow starin' back at me. How 'bout you?"
"Haven't tried. Why?"
"Well, we could dig tunnels and try to meet in the middle, between each other's houses. Then we could hang out in the tunnels and play!! Wouldn't that be cool?!"
"Sure! But do you really think our folks will let us do that?"
"Well..........they don't have to know do they"?
Wow! He liked this idea.
"Okay. Let's get started. See ya later!"
Hanging up, he yelled and told his mom he was going to hang out in the basement and play for a while. Glad to have him busy, Mom gave him the okay.
Downstairs he opened the basement door and just like Mark, he, too, was looking at a wall of snow.
Looking around he found a shovel and began to dig.
Man this snow was packed!! What to do with the snow in the shovel???
Got it!! Put it in the bathroom sink.
Shovelful after shovelful he slowly began to see a dent in the snow. By evening he was exhausted, but he had a tunnel dug that was several feet deep. He wondered how far Mark had gotten.
Days later while inside the tunnel, he finally heard Mark yell his name!! He couldn't believe it!! All of this work had finally paid off. A little while later they finally connected their tunnels. The fact that this snow could collapse on them never entered the 9 year old minds..they had built a tunnel and to these young little minds if you could build one tunnel, you could build several.
And they did.
By the time they were able to go back to school they had quite the little underground mine going on...and it was awesome!!!!
Soon the temperatures warmed and the tunnel was but a fun memory.
The story of the snow tunnels would be shared with friends and family for years to come--always with a warning to his own children that crawling around in those snow tunnels was probably one of the most stupid things he'd ever done....but to this man who has few precious memories of his childhood---he was glad he'd taken the chance.....
Showing posts with label Our Story. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Our Story. Show all posts
Wednesday, July 15, 2009
Wednesday, June 3, 2009
Our Story
Bananas and Bee Stings
Paw was a tall man. He was well over six feet tall but he was very thin. She used to think it was so funny to look at Maw and Paw. Both were tall, but Maw was much.....bigger than Paw. They made her think of that Jack Sprat poem she heard in school.
She really liked hanging out with Paw.
They had two things in common bananas and Reese Cups. They LOVED them!!
She knew that any time they were going to Paw's house, there would be a bowl full of bananas on the kitchen table and a good supply of Reese Cups in the fridge.
Maw and Paw lived in Kentucky on the side of a mountain...literally. For many years, Mommy and Daddy had to park at the bottom of the mountain and everyone had to carry there suitcases up the mountain to the house. It was a great day when her grandparents had a driveway put in!!
Somehow Paw always knew when they would be getting to his house. As soon as they would come around that last big curve, she would start looking up the mountain for Paw. There he would be standing...smoking one of his Camel cigarettes and holding two bananas.
She knew she should probably help Mommy and Daddy with the suitcases, but Paw was smiling so big and waving at her...she just had to run give him a hug.
It wasn't long before everyone had gathered around and said hi and gave out hugs that she and Paw would go set on the edge of the yard talking and enjoying their bananas.
"How's school going?"
"Okay."
Munch, munch.
"Did you get sick on the drive down this time?"
"A little."
Munch, munch.
She wasn't talking too much because she was looking at all the bees that were on the wildflowers and clover.
"Paw, why do you have so many bees?"
"Got a lot of mouths to feed. The honey comes in handy. Don't you like my bees?"
"Not really. Remember last time I left my shoe on the porch and one got in my shoe and when I had to go to the bathroom I put my shoe on and it stung me on my toe and my toe swelled up so big that Mommy had to go buy me some flip flops cause my toe wouldn't fit in my shoe?? I don't like your bees at all!!"
With that, she jumped up, threw her banana peel over the hill, kissed Paw on top of his head and ran in the house to find Maw.
Maw let her go in the fancy living room and read, but after a few minutes of turning pages in her favorite book, she found herself thinking more and more about Paw's bees.
He had so many boxes of bees on the hill behind the house and it seemed like every time she was at his house someone was in a tree catching more bees or standing over the boxes with a smoke box and something covering their faces stealing the bee's honey.
She thought that was really mean. Those bees had to work hard to make that honey and Paw was stealing from them all the time!!
Maybe that's why those bees were always mad and stinging folks......
A few days later found her running around outside playing with the dogs and running in and out of the smoke house with some new treasure to beg Maw out of.
Maw was busy helping Paw steal some honey and she soon tired of the little girl's energy.
"Why don't you go find your Mommy and see what she's up to?"
"Can I have another Reese Cup?"
"You and your Paw have eat them all. But if you'll go sit with Mommy while we steal this honey, we'll go up to IGA and buy some more a little later."
That did it!
A promise of getting to sit beside Paw all the way to IGA to buy more Reese Cups!! She was off to find Mommy.
She found Mommy and her aunts sitting on the porch letting their hair dry.
They were talking and laughing and it was funny to her to watch them.
They all talked at once and laughed about everything and she thought they were just plain silly.
All of a sudden Mommy jumps up and screams, "A bee just flew in my hair!!!"
Mommy was slapping at her hair and the aunts were trying to calm Mommy down and find the bee. All the time, the little girl just stood there wide eyed.
By this time, Maw had come running to the front porch to see what all the screaming was about.
Finally the aunts convinced Mommy to stand still and they managed to get the bee out of Mommy's hair.
That bee was really mad though and he needed someone to sting!!
All of a sudden the little girl let out a huge scream and grabbed her eye. That stupid bee had stung her on her eyelid!!!!
Oh her eyelid was hurting so bad and she just couldn't quit screaming. Nothing Mommy did could make it quit hurting and the little girl was jumping up and down and screaming and screaming!!!
All of a sudden Maw grabbed her by the shoulders and said, "If you don't quit screaming, I'm going to get my switch down and whip your rear end."
That was all it took. She'd never been whipped by Maw's switch, but she'd seen her aunts and uncles get whipped and she knew she didn't want any part of that!
Maw managed to get the stinger out of her eyelid and she put ice on it to help the swelling, but the fact was her eyelid was swollen shut and it would hurt for several days to come.
Maw and Paw kept their promise and a few house later they were on their way to buy more Reese Cups and bananas.
As a woman, she can laugh about it now. It has honestly become a funny, warm memory to her heart.
And every time she eats a banana or a Reese Cup, she goes back in time to when simple things were the most fun......
Paw was a tall man. He was well over six feet tall but he was very thin. She used to think it was so funny to look at Maw and Paw. Both were tall, but Maw was much.....bigger than Paw. They made her think of that Jack Sprat poem she heard in school.
She really liked hanging out with Paw.
They had two things in common bananas and Reese Cups. They LOVED them!!
She knew that any time they were going to Paw's house, there would be a bowl full of bananas on the kitchen table and a good supply of Reese Cups in the fridge.
Maw and Paw lived in Kentucky on the side of a mountain...literally. For many years, Mommy and Daddy had to park at the bottom of the mountain and everyone had to carry there suitcases up the mountain to the house. It was a great day when her grandparents had a driveway put in!!
Somehow Paw always knew when they would be getting to his house. As soon as they would come around that last big curve, she would start looking up the mountain for Paw. There he would be standing...smoking one of his Camel cigarettes and holding two bananas.
She knew she should probably help Mommy and Daddy with the suitcases, but Paw was smiling so big and waving at her...she just had to run give him a hug.
It wasn't long before everyone had gathered around and said hi and gave out hugs that she and Paw would go set on the edge of the yard talking and enjoying their bananas.
"How's school going?"
"Okay."
Munch, munch.
"Did you get sick on the drive down this time?"
"A little."
Munch, munch.
She wasn't talking too much because she was looking at all the bees that were on the wildflowers and clover.
"Paw, why do you have so many bees?"
"Got a lot of mouths to feed. The honey comes in handy. Don't you like my bees?"
"Not really. Remember last time I left my shoe on the porch and one got in my shoe and when I had to go to the bathroom I put my shoe on and it stung me on my toe and my toe swelled up so big that Mommy had to go buy me some flip flops cause my toe wouldn't fit in my shoe?? I don't like your bees at all!!"
With that, she jumped up, threw her banana peel over the hill, kissed Paw on top of his head and ran in the house to find Maw.
Maw let her go in the fancy living room and read, but after a few minutes of turning pages in her favorite book, she found herself thinking more and more about Paw's bees.
He had so many boxes of bees on the hill behind the house and it seemed like every time she was at his house someone was in a tree catching more bees or standing over the boxes with a smoke box and something covering their faces stealing the bee's honey.
She thought that was really mean. Those bees had to work hard to make that honey and Paw was stealing from them all the time!!
Maybe that's why those bees were always mad and stinging folks......
A few days later found her running around outside playing with the dogs and running in and out of the smoke house with some new treasure to beg Maw out of.
Maw was busy helping Paw steal some honey and she soon tired of the little girl's energy.
"Why don't you go find your Mommy and see what she's up to?"
"Can I have another Reese Cup?"
"You and your Paw have eat them all. But if you'll go sit with Mommy while we steal this honey, we'll go up to IGA and buy some more a little later."
That did it!
A promise of getting to sit beside Paw all the way to IGA to buy more Reese Cups!! She was off to find Mommy.
She found Mommy and her aunts sitting on the porch letting their hair dry.
They were talking and laughing and it was funny to her to watch them.
They all talked at once and laughed about everything and she thought they were just plain silly.
All of a sudden Mommy jumps up and screams, "A bee just flew in my hair!!!"
Mommy was slapping at her hair and the aunts were trying to calm Mommy down and find the bee. All the time, the little girl just stood there wide eyed.
By this time, Maw had come running to the front porch to see what all the screaming was about.
Finally the aunts convinced Mommy to stand still and they managed to get the bee out of Mommy's hair.
That bee was really mad though and he needed someone to sting!!
All of a sudden the little girl let out a huge scream and grabbed her eye. That stupid bee had stung her on her eyelid!!!!
Oh her eyelid was hurting so bad and she just couldn't quit screaming. Nothing Mommy did could make it quit hurting and the little girl was jumping up and down and screaming and screaming!!!
All of a sudden Maw grabbed her by the shoulders and said, "If you don't quit screaming, I'm going to get my switch down and whip your rear end."
That was all it took. She'd never been whipped by Maw's switch, but she'd seen her aunts and uncles get whipped and she knew she didn't want any part of that!
Maw managed to get the stinger out of her eyelid and she put ice on it to help the swelling, but the fact was her eyelid was swollen shut and it would hurt for several days to come.
Maw and Paw kept their promise and a few house later they were on their way to buy more Reese Cups and bananas.
As a woman, she can laugh about it now. It has honestly become a funny, warm memory to her heart.
And every time she eats a banana or a Reese Cup, she goes back in time to when simple things were the most fun......
Wednesday, May 27, 2009
Our Story
To catch up with Our Story, click on the Our Story label on the left side of my blog.
The End of Cancer...Going Home
Her entire head was wrapped in bandages. The little girl had never seen so many bandages on one person in her life! Was this Maw? Her Maw? The person in this bed barely moved. She looked up at her mommy who was looking down at her little girl. Mommy took a deep breath, put her hand on the little girl's back and together, they went towards the bed.
Mommy put her hand on this person's shoulder and the bandaged head moved. The little girl was able to see this person's eyes and she knew at that moment this was indeed her Maw...
Afraid to speak, her thoughts inside her head went wild..
"Is cancer so bad you have to be completely wrapped up in bandages?"
"Who did this to Maw?""She looks like she is going to die!"
"Can't we just go to Maw's house and find Maw...this has to be someone else!"
Suddenly the person on the bed moved her hand and patted the spot beside her...just like Maw would do. The little girl looked down at the hand and noticed how much it did indeed look like Maw's.
Slowly she crawled up on the bed and noticed that there were tears in this person's eyes. She felt the hand move to touch her face and the little girl just laid over on this person's...Maw's...tummy and cried. This was her Maw and she was going to take care of her and make her better so those bandages would go away and Maw would be back to normal.
Maw rubbed the little girl's hair and listened to Mommy while she filled her in on the trip and where they were staying.
Looking back, she realizes how hard this must have been on her Mommy because 22 is so very young to be so far away from home with a little one and all alone.
Each day over the next two weeks, the little girl and her mommy would get up early and make that long walk all the way to the hospital. They would sit with Maw and talk to her even though Maw couldn't talk back. The little girl would read books to Maw and play dollies and every now and then, Maw felt good enough to sit up so the little girl could climb behind her and brush her long white hair. Maw had such pretty hair...
They would make this trip to Maryland 4 more times, staying anywhere from a few days to two weeks.
On one such trip the little girl and her mommy were walking towards the hospital and talking. By now, she had gotten used to the mean woman where they stayed and even the walk didn't seem quite so long.
"Baby, when we get to Maw today, you'll see that she won't be wearing any bandages."
Yes!!!...Finally..she'd be getting her Maw back!!
"You've got to understand the Maw is going to look very different."
"How?"
"When she came here, they had to operate to take the cancer out of Maw's mouth. In order to make sure that they would get rid of all of it so Maw would never have to come back here, they had to take out these bones."She looked up at her mommy and noticed mommy was rubbing her jaws and chin.
"In order to get to the bones, they also had to take away all of this skin."Mommy was still rubbing the same places.
"They are going to fix Maw's face when they are sure all of the cancer is gone, but in the meantime, she might look very scary to you."
"Is Maw going to be able to talk to me yet?"
"No. Not until they fix her mouth. I know you want her to be like she was before the cancer, but she will never be that way again. Do you understand that?"
She didn't really understand, but she'd been around Maw long enough since the cancer to know that she was just happy that Maw was still alive.
"When the do fix Maw's mouth, she won't look the same and she will have a very hard time talking.She's going to have to learn to talk again and you're going to have to be patient when you try to understand her. Okay?"
"Yes, Mommy. I'm a big girl. It will all be okay. Maw didn't die and it will all be okay."
Mommy rubbed her little girl's head and they went in the hospital.
Sure enough the bandages were gone and in their place was a mask like the doctors wore..but it was okay. The doctors would fix Maw's face soon and they would never have to come back to this place again.
Over time. Maw did go home. Her face never looked the same again and like Mommy said, Maw had to learn to talk again and the little girl had to become a better listener. But it was okay. Maw was alive and there would be many more mornings of homemade biscuits and homemade yellow gravy. There would be many more walks up the mountain picking flowers. There would be many more bee stings.
And speaking of bees....
The End of Cancer...Going Home
Her entire head was wrapped in bandages. The little girl had never seen so many bandages on one person in her life! Was this Maw? Her Maw? The person in this bed barely moved. She looked up at her mommy who was looking down at her little girl. Mommy took a deep breath, put her hand on the little girl's back and together, they went towards the bed.
Mommy put her hand on this person's shoulder and the bandaged head moved. The little girl was able to see this person's eyes and she knew at that moment this was indeed her Maw...
Afraid to speak, her thoughts inside her head went wild..
"Is cancer so bad you have to be completely wrapped up in bandages?"
"Who did this to Maw?""She looks like she is going to die!"
"Can't we just go to Maw's house and find Maw...this has to be someone else!"
Suddenly the person on the bed moved her hand and patted the spot beside her...just like Maw would do. The little girl looked down at the hand and noticed how much it did indeed look like Maw's.
Slowly she crawled up on the bed and noticed that there were tears in this person's eyes. She felt the hand move to touch her face and the little girl just laid over on this person's...Maw's...tummy and cried. This was her Maw and she was going to take care of her and make her better so those bandages would go away and Maw would be back to normal.
Maw rubbed the little girl's hair and listened to Mommy while she filled her in on the trip and where they were staying.
Looking back, she realizes how hard this must have been on her Mommy because 22 is so very young to be so far away from home with a little one and all alone.
Each day over the next two weeks, the little girl and her mommy would get up early and make that long walk all the way to the hospital. They would sit with Maw and talk to her even though Maw couldn't talk back. The little girl would read books to Maw and play dollies and every now and then, Maw felt good enough to sit up so the little girl could climb behind her and brush her long white hair. Maw had such pretty hair...
They would make this trip to Maryland 4 more times, staying anywhere from a few days to two weeks.
On one such trip the little girl and her mommy were walking towards the hospital and talking. By now, she had gotten used to the mean woman where they stayed and even the walk didn't seem quite so long.
"Baby, when we get to Maw today, you'll see that she won't be wearing any bandages."
Yes!!!...Finally..she'd be getting her Maw back!!
"You've got to understand the Maw is going to look very different."
"How?"
"When she came here, they had to operate to take the cancer out of Maw's mouth. In order to make sure that they would get rid of all of it so Maw would never have to come back here, they had to take out these bones."She looked up at her mommy and noticed mommy was rubbing her jaws and chin.
"In order to get to the bones, they also had to take away all of this skin."Mommy was still rubbing the same places.
"They are going to fix Maw's face when they are sure all of the cancer is gone, but in the meantime, she might look very scary to you."
"Is Maw going to be able to talk to me yet?"
"No. Not until they fix her mouth. I know you want her to be like she was before the cancer, but she will never be that way again. Do you understand that?"
She didn't really understand, but she'd been around Maw long enough since the cancer to know that she was just happy that Maw was still alive.
"When the do fix Maw's mouth, she won't look the same and she will have a very hard time talking.She's going to have to learn to talk again and you're going to have to be patient when you try to understand her. Okay?"
"Yes, Mommy. I'm a big girl. It will all be okay. Maw didn't die and it will all be okay."
Mommy rubbed her little girl's head and they went in the hospital.
Sure enough the bandages were gone and in their place was a mask like the doctors wore..but it was okay. The doctors would fix Maw's face soon and they would never have to come back to this place again.
Over time. Maw did go home. Her face never looked the same again and like Mommy said, Maw had to learn to talk again and the little girl had to become a better listener. But it was okay. Maw was alive and there would be many more mornings of homemade biscuits and homemade yellow gravy. There would be many more walks up the mountain picking flowers. There would be many more bee stings.
And speaking of bees....
Wednesday, May 20, 2009
A Sidenote to Our Story
For those of you keeping up with Our Story on Wednesdays, you may be wondering who Scott is.
Somehow a chapter of Our Story didn't post...I'm not sure why, but never-the-less, it can't be found.
Scott is a tiny boy that I met on my first day of Kindergarten. He was much shorter than me and very shy. He had incredible white (not blond...white) hair and I was drawn to how beautiful that hair was. All of the younger boys on my dad's side of the family had white hair, but Scott had really white hair. I just loved it!!
I walked to school since it was only 4 blocks away from our apartment in Cicero, Illinois, and Scott walked the same route I did.
After a little while, Scott became my first "boyfriend" and looking back, my first real friend.
.....I hope he's doing great, wherever he is now.....
To read past chapters in Our Story, click on the Our Story label in the left sidebar.
Somehow a chapter of Our Story didn't post...I'm not sure why, but never-the-less, it can't be found.
Scott is a tiny boy that I met on my first day of Kindergarten. He was much shorter than me and very shy. He had incredible white (not blond...white) hair and I was drawn to how beautiful that hair was. All of the younger boys on my dad's side of the family had white hair, but Scott had really white hair. I just loved it!!
I walked to school since it was only 4 blocks away from our apartment in Cicero, Illinois, and Scott walked the same route I did.
After a little while, Scott became my first "boyfriend" and looking back, my first real friend.
.....I hope he's doing great, wherever he is now.....
To read past chapters in Our Story, click on the Our Story label in the left sidebar.
Our Story
Cancer and an Airplane
There were dark days in her young life. Times she remembers, that she'd rather forget. Things she saw, things she heard, things that happened that shouldn't have.....she's worked through them all and only through the power of God has she been able to be victorious. Maybe someday...when the time is right...she'll be able to take you back to that time, but not today.....
Cancer.
At seven years old, she didn't understand what that meant. She only knew that Maw had it in her mouth and it was a very bad thing.
She was playing tea party with her dolls. Mommaw had bought her a table and chairs for her bedroom. The table was round, but otherwise, it looked just like the grown up table in the kitchen, and she loved playing mommy, working in the kitchen and fixing yummy food. While she served pretend tea and cookies to her dolls, she couldn't help but overhear the muffled sound of Mommy and Daddy's voices from their bedroom. Mommy and Daddy hardly ever went in their room to talk, so this really made her tummy feel funny on the inside. She heard Mommy and Daddy talking. She heard Mommy crying and Daddy getting angry. Daddy could get really angry sometimes, but this time he sounded a different angry. He sounded like he was hurt, but angry.
It wasn't long and their door opened. Mommy wasn't crying anymore, but her eyes were really red and her voice sounded funny. Daddy wouldn't look her way. He just went in the living room and turned the tv on.
Mommy sat on the edge of the little girl's bed and patted the spot beside her. She ran to sit by Mommy because she could tell this would be a "big girl" talk and Mommy didn't like her to "lolly gag".
"I don't want you to be scared, but Maw has cancer. Do you know what that is?"
"No...but I bet it's bad."
"It can be bad yes. Daddy's mommy is very sick. She might die if she doesn't get better."
Die?? Maw?? Strong, big Maw who could outwork any man around?? Maw who kept a switch hanging over her front door to whip the daylights out of any kid who wasn't minding her? No...not Maw....not her Maw.
"Can't the Doctor fix her?"
"Maw's doctor can't fix her but he wants her to go see a doctor very far away from her house who maybe can."
Far away from Maw's house!! Where could that be? It took them, like, forever to drive to Maw's house now!!
"Will I ever see Maw again?"
"Well, you and me are going to get on an airplane and fly to a place called Maryland. When we get there, we are going to stay at a place kind of like our apartment and we are going to visit Maw while she's trying to get better. Okay?"
An airplane?? She had to go in the sky to see Maw?? Maryland was that far away??
Even though she told her mommy that she would go, she was very afraid. She'd never been in an airplane before and she didn't like the idea of it now.
Daddy wasn't going to be going with them because he had to work. This made her even more afraid.
Just a few days later Daddy drove them to the airport. This place was huge!! SO many people going every which direction!! She and Mommy gave Daddy a kiss and a hug and he was gone. He disappeared so fast!!
She looked at Mommy and she could tell that Mommy was very afraid. That made her even more scared. She had seen Mommy sad and she had seen Mommy angry, but she couldn't remember if she'd ever seen her scared.
Somebody said something over the speaker, Mommy grabbed her hand and they took off running...and they were running fast!!!
They made it to this lady with a friendly smile who took their ticket and they boarded the plane.
Her little heart was beating so fast. She was sure it was going to pop right out of her chest!!
They found their seat and Mommy let her sit by the window. It was a tiny window, but she could see outside and that was really cool!!
They buckled their seat belts and in just a few minutes, the pilot came on the speaker and told them his name and said something about a great flight.
She turned to look at Mommy and then it moved!! Whipping around to look out her window she saw everything outside start to go by. Faster and faster until she couldn't even make out what anything was!! Her heart had calmed down, but now was beating as fast as the plane was moving!
All of a sudden she felt like someone was pushing her back in her seat and they left the ground. The little girl didn't know whether to cry or to laugh. Not long after, she felt her body returning to normal and the stewardess asked them if they'd like something to drink. "Are you kidding?!", the little girl thought, "I just might throw up if I try to drink something!"
After a while she settled down though and she actually began to enjoy the plane ride. She loved the different colors of the clouds. She saw blue clouds and white ones. Even red and orange clouds. She'd have to remember that when she colored pictures of clouds. She wondered if Scott had ever been in a cloud? Maybe she would ask him...
It wasn't too much longer and the pilot came on the speaker again. He told everybody that they had to buckle their seatbelts and put everything away. As she looked out the window again she could begin to make out the ground below and then the houses and before she knew it..... A hard bump!! She felt like she'd been slammed into the ground!! Mommy grabbed her arm and then she heard something crash!! Oh was she scared!! Mommy was holding her tightly and she could hear Mommy's heart beating! This had to be bad! She knew this airplane thing was a bad idea! But..slowly the plane came to a stop and the stewardess apologized for the plate breaking and scaring everybody.
She was glad she was in Maryland, but she hoped they could figure out another way to get home.
Once they got their bags and went outside, Mommy soon flagged down a taxi and they were off to their room apartment.
Mommy knocked on the door of the apartment and a lady answered the door. She took one look at the little girl and made an awful face.
"You have a child with you?", she asked Mommy.
"Yes. I had no choice but to bring her. She's a very good girl and you won't hear a peep out of her, I promise."
"I'd better not or you'll be finding another place to stay."
Humph. Who did this lady think she was anyway? The little girl knew right away that she was not going to like being in this room apartment.
Once they got in their room and unpacked, Mommy found the address to Maw's doctor. Maw had gotten here a few weeks before and Mommy said they had to operate on Maw. She told the little girl that Maw would look different but it was still Maw under those big bandaids.
Downstairs they went, out the door and began the walk to the hospital. Blocks and blocks and blocks they walked. The little girl tried hard not to whine, but she was getting tired.
"Mommy, why didn't we just call a taxi?"
"Because. We don't have a lot of money and we're going to be here two weeks. Just be a big girl. We're almost there."
A few more blocks found them standing in front of the biggest building she'd ever seen. This place was bigger than her apartment back home. It was even bigger than her school!!!
Even though Mommy told her that Maw was going to look different, she wasn't prepared for what she saw when she entered Maw's room......
There were dark days in her young life. Times she remembers, that she'd rather forget. Things she saw, things she heard, things that happened that shouldn't have.....she's worked through them all and only through the power of God has she been able to be victorious. Maybe someday...when the time is right...she'll be able to take you back to that time, but not today.....
Cancer.
At seven years old, she didn't understand what that meant. She only knew that Maw had it in her mouth and it was a very bad thing.
She was playing tea party with her dolls. Mommaw had bought her a table and chairs for her bedroom. The table was round, but otherwise, it looked just like the grown up table in the kitchen, and she loved playing mommy, working in the kitchen and fixing yummy food. While she served pretend tea and cookies to her dolls, she couldn't help but overhear the muffled sound of Mommy and Daddy's voices from their bedroom. Mommy and Daddy hardly ever went in their room to talk, so this really made her tummy feel funny on the inside. She heard Mommy and Daddy talking. She heard Mommy crying and Daddy getting angry. Daddy could get really angry sometimes, but this time he sounded a different angry. He sounded like he was hurt, but angry.
It wasn't long and their door opened. Mommy wasn't crying anymore, but her eyes were really red and her voice sounded funny. Daddy wouldn't look her way. He just went in the living room and turned the tv on.
Mommy sat on the edge of the little girl's bed and patted the spot beside her. She ran to sit by Mommy because she could tell this would be a "big girl" talk and Mommy didn't like her to "lolly gag".
"I don't want you to be scared, but Maw has cancer. Do you know what that is?"
"No...but I bet it's bad."
"It can be bad yes. Daddy's mommy is very sick. She might die if she doesn't get better."
Die?? Maw?? Strong, big Maw who could outwork any man around?? Maw who kept a switch hanging over her front door to whip the daylights out of any kid who wasn't minding her? No...not Maw....not her Maw.
"Can't the Doctor fix her?"
"Maw's doctor can't fix her but he wants her to go see a doctor very far away from her house who maybe can."
Far away from Maw's house!! Where could that be? It took them, like, forever to drive to Maw's house now!!
"Will I ever see Maw again?"
"Well, you and me are going to get on an airplane and fly to a place called Maryland. When we get there, we are going to stay at a place kind of like our apartment and we are going to visit Maw while she's trying to get better. Okay?"
An airplane?? She had to go in the sky to see Maw?? Maryland was that far away??
Even though she told her mommy that she would go, she was very afraid. She'd never been in an airplane before and she didn't like the idea of it now.
Daddy wasn't going to be going with them because he had to work. This made her even more afraid.
Just a few days later Daddy drove them to the airport. This place was huge!! SO many people going every which direction!! She and Mommy gave Daddy a kiss and a hug and he was gone. He disappeared so fast!!
She looked at Mommy and she could tell that Mommy was very afraid. That made her even more scared. She had seen Mommy sad and she had seen Mommy angry, but she couldn't remember if she'd ever seen her scared.
Somebody said something over the speaker, Mommy grabbed her hand and they took off running...and they were running fast!!!
They made it to this lady with a friendly smile who took their ticket and they boarded the plane.
Her little heart was beating so fast. She was sure it was going to pop right out of her chest!!
They found their seat and Mommy let her sit by the window. It was a tiny window, but she could see outside and that was really cool!!
They buckled their seat belts and in just a few minutes, the pilot came on the speaker and told them his name and said something about a great flight.
She turned to look at Mommy and then it moved!! Whipping around to look out her window she saw everything outside start to go by. Faster and faster until she couldn't even make out what anything was!! Her heart had calmed down, but now was beating as fast as the plane was moving!
All of a sudden she felt like someone was pushing her back in her seat and they left the ground. The little girl didn't know whether to cry or to laugh. Not long after, she felt her body returning to normal and the stewardess asked them if they'd like something to drink. "Are you kidding?!", the little girl thought, "I just might throw up if I try to drink something!"
After a while she settled down though and she actually began to enjoy the plane ride. She loved the different colors of the clouds. She saw blue clouds and white ones. Even red and orange clouds. She'd have to remember that when she colored pictures of clouds. She wondered if Scott had ever been in a cloud? Maybe she would ask him...
It wasn't too much longer and the pilot came on the speaker again. He told everybody that they had to buckle their seatbelts and put everything away. As she looked out the window again she could begin to make out the ground below and then the houses and before she knew it..... A hard bump!! She felt like she'd been slammed into the ground!! Mommy grabbed her arm and then she heard something crash!! Oh was she scared!! Mommy was holding her tightly and she could hear Mommy's heart beating! This had to be bad! She knew this airplane thing was a bad idea! But..slowly the plane came to a stop and the stewardess apologized for the plate breaking and scaring everybody.
She was glad she was in Maryland, but she hoped they could figure out another way to get home.
Once they got their bags and went outside, Mommy soon flagged down a taxi and they were off to their room apartment.
Mommy knocked on the door of the apartment and a lady answered the door. She took one look at the little girl and made an awful face.
"You have a child with you?", she asked Mommy.
"Yes. I had no choice but to bring her. She's a very good girl and you won't hear a peep out of her, I promise."
"I'd better not or you'll be finding another place to stay."
Humph. Who did this lady think she was anyway? The little girl knew right away that she was not going to like being in this room apartment.
Once they got in their room and unpacked, Mommy found the address to Maw's doctor. Maw had gotten here a few weeks before and Mommy said they had to operate on Maw. She told the little girl that Maw would look different but it was still Maw under those big bandaids.
Downstairs they went, out the door and began the walk to the hospital. Blocks and blocks and blocks they walked. The little girl tried hard not to whine, but she was getting tired.
"Mommy, why didn't we just call a taxi?"
"Because. We don't have a lot of money and we're going to be here two weeks. Just be a big girl. We're almost there."
A few more blocks found them standing in front of the biggest building she'd ever seen. This place was bigger than her apartment back home. It was even bigger than her school!!!
Even though Mommy told her that Maw was going to look different, she wasn't prepared for what she saw when she entered Maw's room......
Wednesday, May 13, 2009
Our Story
It's Hard for Him to Remember
He wishes he could remember more about his childhood, but no matter how hard he tries, memories before his teenage years practically eluded his mind.
He can remember a few though and the first one that comes to mind is just a small snippet.
He was in kindergarden and he remembers having to climb up some stairs. At the top of those stairs was a room filled with huge blocks that looked like the blocks on some of the homes in his neighborhood. Some buddies and he began building with these blocks and he was surprised at how light they were when they looked so heavy! What to build, what to build. They began piling block upon block and before long a fort was built. How much fun they had playing in that fort!!
His first real memory was one of taking a trip. One morning Momma woke him up an told him to get dressed. He couldn’t understand why she was waking him up so early, but he loved Momma and did what she asked.
After getting dressed he went through the house and smelled something yummy..breakfast!! Sitting down and eating quickly he wondered what was going on.
After breakfast Momma told him to gather up his things and get in the car. He could feel the excitment in the air and with each mile got more and more anxious.
Daddy was driving and Momma was sitting beside him. They were talking and laughing and he just couldn’t stand it any longer..
"Momma, where are we going?"
"You’ll see.."
Sitting back in the seat he wasn’t happy about the answer he received.
After a while Daddy asked him if he could read the sign that was in front of them.
He tried really hard, but right now all he could read was little words and this was a big word.
"No. What does it say?"
"Welcome to Michigan!"
Sitting back again he thought Michigan? We live in Indiana. He’d looked at the map of the United States in his classroom and he knew that they were in a different state. This wasn’t making any sense….
After a while, Daddy started slowing down and they pulled into this place called Deer Forest.
He asked Momma what Deer Forest was and she replied again, "You’ll see." If nothing else, he decided that he didn’t like that answer to a question. Funny thing is, years later he would do that to his own children……
After parking, they got out of the car and paid for their tickets. Momma also paid for a big, colorful key. What in the world could a key that big be used for??
They walked through a gate and he walked into a fairytale!!! He looked around with big, wide eyes and couldn’t believe what he was seeing!! He saw Humpty Dumpty and Jack and the Beanstalk. He saw Old Mother Hubbard and The Old Woman in the Shoe. Scene after scene and they all looked like they jumped out of his rhyme books!! Daddy took the key and showed him how to put it into a box in front of each scene. When you turned the key, someone inside the box would start telling the rhyme!! It was the coolest thing he’d ever seen in his young life!
After the nursery rhymes there were a few rides you could ride on. Rides like he rode on at the fair, only smaller.
He was having so much fun that he didn’t notice his tummy rumbling, but when Momma suggested they sit down and eat the picnic lunch they had brought, he didn’t object! He can’t remember what they ate, but Momma was a good cook and she’d always taken such good care of him…he knew it was good whatever it was.
After eating they began walking again. They came up on a petting zoo. He wasn’t sure what that was, but after just a moment he knew. They actually let you pet the animals!! There were goats and rabbits and llamas and deer…hey!!…maybe that was why this place was called Deer Forest. There were alot of trees and here were the deer…made sense to him.
Daddy would take a quarter every now and then and put it in a machine that looked like a gumball machine at the dime store. When he would turn the knob, corn would come out instead of bubblegum. He would give it to his son and then the little boy would hold out his hand so the deer would eat out of it!! That was scary and exciting at the same time!! He was amazed that the deer would even come so close to him, much less eat out of his hand!
All too soon the day came to an end and it was time to go home. As they piled back in the car, he laid down in the back seat. It had been a wonderful day and he would remember this forever.
And he did…..
He wishes he could remember more about his childhood, but no matter how hard he tries, memories before his teenage years practically eluded his mind.
He can remember a few though and the first one that comes to mind is just a small snippet.
He was in kindergarden and he remembers having to climb up some stairs. At the top of those stairs was a room filled with huge blocks that looked like the blocks on some of the homes in his neighborhood. Some buddies and he began building with these blocks and he was surprised at how light they were when they looked so heavy! What to build, what to build. They began piling block upon block and before long a fort was built. How much fun they had playing in that fort!!
His first real memory was one of taking a trip. One morning Momma woke him up an told him to get dressed. He couldn’t understand why she was waking him up so early, but he loved Momma and did what she asked.
After getting dressed he went through the house and smelled something yummy..breakfast!! Sitting down and eating quickly he wondered what was going on.
After breakfast Momma told him to gather up his things and get in the car. He could feel the excitment in the air and with each mile got more and more anxious.
Daddy was driving and Momma was sitting beside him. They were talking and laughing and he just couldn’t stand it any longer..
"Momma, where are we going?"
"You’ll see.."
Sitting back in the seat he wasn’t happy about the answer he received.
After a while Daddy asked him if he could read the sign that was in front of them.
He tried really hard, but right now all he could read was little words and this was a big word.
"No. What does it say?"
"Welcome to Michigan!"
Sitting back again he thought Michigan? We live in Indiana. He’d looked at the map of the United States in his classroom and he knew that they were in a different state. This wasn’t making any sense….
After a while, Daddy started slowing down and they pulled into this place called Deer Forest.
He asked Momma what Deer Forest was and she replied again, "You’ll see." If nothing else, he decided that he didn’t like that answer to a question. Funny thing is, years later he would do that to his own children……
After parking, they got out of the car and paid for their tickets. Momma also paid for a big, colorful key. What in the world could a key that big be used for??
They walked through a gate and he walked into a fairytale!!! He looked around with big, wide eyes and couldn’t believe what he was seeing!! He saw Humpty Dumpty and Jack and the Beanstalk. He saw Old Mother Hubbard and The Old Woman in the Shoe. Scene after scene and they all looked like they jumped out of his rhyme books!! Daddy took the key and showed him how to put it into a box in front of each scene. When you turned the key, someone inside the box would start telling the rhyme!! It was the coolest thing he’d ever seen in his young life!
After the nursery rhymes there were a few rides you could ride on. Rides like he rode on at the fair, only smaller.
He was having so much fun that he didn’t notice his tummy rumbling, but when Momma suggested they sit down and eat the picnic lunch they had brought, he didn’t object! He can’t remember what they ate, but Momma was a good cook and she’d always taken such good care of him…he knew it was good whatever it was.
After eating they began walking again. They came up on a petting zoo. He wasn’t sure what that was, but after just a moment he knew. They actually let you pet the animals!! There were goats and rabbits and llamas and deer…hey!!…maybe that was why this place was called Deer Forest. There were alot of trees and here were the deer…made sense to him.
Daddy would take a quarter every now and then and put it in a machine that looked like a gumball machine at the dime store. When he would turn the knob, corn would come out instead of bubblegum. He would give it to his son and then the little boy would hold out his hand so the deer would eat out of it!! That was scary and exciting at the same time!! He was amazed that the deer would even come so close to him, much less eat out of his hand!
All too soon the day came to an end and it was time to go home. As they piled back in the car, he laid down in the back seat. It had been a wonderful day and he would remember this forever.
And he did…..
Wednesday, May 6, 2009
Our Story...
She doesn’t remember how old she was, she just remembers it was Christmas Eve and she was sleeping on the couch.
Her uncle was visiting and he was sleeping in her bed. She didn’t mind because if she slept on the couch, Mommy would leave the lights on on the Christmas tree and it was so beautiful!
The tree was so big! It was almost as big as Daddy, and he was a big man..
The tree was silver and when they were busy putting it together it would scratch her skin. Oh, it didn’t hurt..just felt a little funny.
She doesn’t remember shopping for it, but she does remember how big the box looked sitting in the livingroom floor. Mommy opened the box and took out all the pieces. That tree sure looked funny in the box, but Mommy promised that once they got it put together it would be beautiful….and she was right.
Once it was put together, Mommy began to put the lights on. They were beautiful!! Blue and red, green and orange and the best part was…they blinked!! She wondered how many other little girls had trees that blinked.
Then Mommy brought out this stuff that looked like shiny, red rope. They worked to get it wrapped around the tree, standing back every now and then, tilting their head one way then the next to see if it was even. She really didn’t understand what even meant, but she did understand pretty..and this tree was pretty.
Next, she and Mommy sat on the floor and put hooks on the most pretty ornaments she’d ever seen in her little life!! There were shiny balls and icicles. There were little Santa Clauses and elves! Mommy even had a couple of angels. After getting all of the hooks on, they began to hang them on the tree. She was so excited!! Excited to the point that Mommy had to keep reminding her to be careful!! Oh..she surely didn’t want to break even one of these beautiful trinkets.
For the next few days at school, they would make an ornament to take home and hang on their tree. She wondered if Mommy would let her do that. After all, the tree was so pretty and her handmade ornaments…well..weren’t.
That first day she carried home a piece of white paper cut in the shape of a ball. She’d spent so much time making sure each piece of colored macaroni…and by the way, how did that macaroni get all of those different colors??….was in just the right spot. Then she took paste and pasted each piece carefully to the "ball". Oh, darn!! No matter how many ways she tilted her head, it just didn’t look right, but, it was time to go home and so, with ornament in hand, she began her trip home.
By this time, she was used to the walk and now even Scott waited on her and they walked hand in hand until he had to turn off on his street. He was a little shorter than her, but that was okay..it made it easier to look at that beautiful white hair…..
Once inside her apartment, she carefully laid the ornament on the table. Turning on Captain Kangaroo and sitting on the couch, her eyes would wander from the tree to the ornament. There was no way Mommy would hang that awful thing on their beautiful tree. She even thought about throwing it away before Mommy got home from work, but just maybe there would be a chance…..
She heard the now familiar sound of the locks clicking open and turning, saw a snow covered Mommy walking in the door. As usual, Mommy was tired, but she always had a hug ready and wanted to hear about her little girl’s day.
Sheepishly the little girl showed Mommy the ornament, trying as best she could to hold back the tears. It was truly an awful looking thing….but to her surprise and absolute astonishment, Mommy went and got one of those hooks and put it on her construction paper and macaroni ball and hung it right in front on the tree!!! Not only did Mommy think it was beautiful but she even gave it a place of honor!! She had the best Mommy in the world!!
So laying on the couch on Christmas Eve night, her eyes wandered from the macaroni ball to the Santa Clauses and the angels. The lights were blinking and she knew she needed to be getting to sleep so Santa could come but that tree was just soooo beautiful……
She heard a noise. Like someone was moving the presents under the tree. Peeking through her sleepy eyelids she saw him!!! You know…HIM….Santa Claus!!!! He was bent over putting things under the tree!! Oh no!! What would happen if HE knew she saw him? Should she sit up? No… Should she cough? No…Should she even breathe??? She was so excited…she was actually looking at the real Santa Claus! No one was ever going to believe this…not even Scott!
She decided she would just hold her breath as long as she could and peek out of her eyelashes so that maybe Santa wouldn’t realize that she was awake.
"Oh no!! He’s turning around..he’s looking at me!! Don’t move. Don’t even breath…"
The next thing she knew it was morning. When did she fall back asleep and when did Santa leave? Did she really even see Santa?? No matter. Sitting up she saw all of those presents and knew he’d been there and it was time to wake up Mommy and Daddy. Running through the apartment and jumping on the bed she tried to explain to them it was time to get up. Wake up uncle and let’s get busy opening those presents!! And by the way she saw Santa….Mommy just smiled and told her that she couldn’t have saw Santa, he don’t let people see him. But she knew she saw him…didn’t she??
To this very day when she shares that memory with Mama, Mama just smiles……
Her uncle was visiting and he was sleeping in her bed. She didn’t mind because if she slept on the couch, Mommy would leave the lights on on the Christmas tree and it was so beautiful!
The tree was so big! It was almost as big as Daddy, and he was a big man..
The tree was silver and when they were busy putting it together it would scratch her skin. Oh, it didn’t hurt..just felt a little funny.
She doesn’t remember shopping for it, but she does remember how big the box looked sitting in the livingroom floor. Mommy opened the box and took out all the pieces. That tree sure looked funny in the box, but Mommy promised that once they got it put together it would be beautiful….and she was right.
Once it was put together, Mommy began to put the lights on. They were beautiful!! Blue and red, green and orange and the best part was…they blinked!! She wondered how many other little girls had trees that blinked.
Then Mommy brought out this stuff that looked like shiny, red rope. They worked to get it wrapped around the tree, standing back every now and then, tilting their head one way then the next to see if it was even. She really didn’t understand what even meant, but she did understand pretty..and this tree was pretty.
Next, she and Mommy sat on the floor and put hooks on the most pretty ornaments she’d ever seen in her little life!! There were shiny balls and icicles. There were little Santa Clauses and elves! Mommy even had a couple of angels. After getting all of the hooks on, they began to hang them on the tree. She was so excited!! Excited to the point that Mommy had to keep reminding her to be careful!! Oh..she surely didn’t want to break even one of these beautiful trinkets.
For the next few days at school, they would make an ornament to take home and hang on their tree. She wondered if Mommy would let her do that. After all, the tree was so pretty and her handmade ornaments…well..weren’t.
That first day she carried home a piece of white paper cut in the shape of a ball. She’d spent so much time making sure each piece of colored macaroni…and by the way, how did that macaroni get all of those different colors??….was in just the right spot. Then she took paste and pasted each piece carefully to the "ball". Oh, darn!! No matter how many ways she tilted her head, it just didn’t look right, but, it was time to go home and so, with ornament in hand, she began her trip home.
By this time, she was used to the walk and now even Scott waited on her and they walked hand in hand until he had to turn off on his street. He was a little shorter than her, but that was okay..it made it easier to look at that beautiful white hair…..
Once inside her apartment, she carefully laid the ornament on the table. Turning on Captain Kangaroo and sitting on the couch, her eyes would wander from the tree to the ornament. There was no way Mommy would hang that awful thing on their beautiful tree. She even thought about throwing it away before Mommy got home from work, but just maybe there would be a chance…..
She heard the now familiar sound of the locks clicking open and turning, saw a snow covered Mommy walking in the door. As usual, Mommy was tired, but she always had a hug ready and wanted to hear about her little girl’s day.
Sheepishly the little girl showed Mommy the ornament, trying as best she could to hold back the tears. It was truly an awful looking thing….but to her surprise and absolute astonishment, Mommy went and got one of those hooks and put it on her construction paper and macaroni ball and hung it right in front on the tree!!! Not only did Mommy think it was beautiful but she even gave it a place of honor!! She had the best Mommy in the world!!
So laying on the couch on Christmas Eve night, her eyes wandered from the macaroni ball to the Santa Clauses and the angels. The lights were blinking and she knew she needed to be getting to sleep so Santa could come but that tree was just soooo beautiful……
She heard a noise. Like someone was moving the presents under the tree. Peeking through her sleepy eyelids she saw him!!! You know…HIM….Santa Claus!!!! He was bent over putting things under the tree!! Oh no!! What would happen if HE knew she saw him? Should she sit up? No… Should she cough? No…Should she even breathe??? She was so excited…she was actually looking at the real Santa Claus! No one was ever going to believe this…not even Scott!
She decided she would just hold her breath as long as she could and peek out of her eyelashes so that maybe Santa wouldn’t realize that she was awake.
"Oh no!! He’s turning around..he’s looking at me!! Don’t move. Don’t even breath…"
The next thing she knew it was morning. When did she fall back asleep and when did Santa leave? Did she really even see Santa?? No matter. Sitting up she saw all of those presents and knew he’d been there and it was time to wake up Mommy and Daddy. Running through the apartment and jumping on the bed she tried to explain to them it was time to get up. Wake up uncle and let’s get busy opening those presents!! And by the way she saw Santa….Mommy just smiled and told her that she couldn’t have saw Santa, he don’t let people see him. But she knew she saw him…didn’t she??
To this very day when she shares that memory with Mama, Mama just smiles……
Wednesday, April 29, 2009
Our Story
Many, many months ago DH and I were talking about our lives...how we grew up, what we did and the circumstances that brought us together and where we are now. He's always tried to get me to write about our 'life-story' and I've fought him on it. I mean....who wants to read our story, right???
Anyway, I got to thinking, DH supports me in everything I do, if he wants me to write this, it's the least I can do.
So......here we go.........
Walk with me….let’s go back in time. More than 40 years ago. Before they were even born, before they were even thought about.
How did it begin? Where has their journey taken them and where are they going?
This is a true story about 2 people…very much in love and doing their very best to serve their Savior, raise their family, and make this journey called life the absolute best it can be.
Welcome to their life. They hope you enjoy....
In The Beginning
She was 15. Much too young to get married, but believed that she had met her Prince Charming and that life would be over if she could not be his bride.
He was 21. Tall, thin, dark, black hair and wore a crooked smile. Oh, the trouble he could get into….but he thought she was beautiful. Sure, she was only 15, but she seemed so much older than those 15 years. He wanted her to be his wife, and she wanted to say yes.
Her mom couldn’t believe what was being asked of her. Saying yes to letting her 15 year old daughter marry someone who was 21?? Someone who could be quite hot tempered and could find himself in a lot of trouble at any given time? She wouldn’t do it! NO. She would not allow her only daughter to marry this man. If anyone granted permission for this, it would be her father.
And he did.
That was March 16, 1963.
Let’s move forward. Chicago, Illinois, August 7, 1964. She woke up that morning feeling every ounce of her 9 month pregnancy weight on her small frame. So far from the hills of West Virginia and the place that had been home all of her young life.
Her husband of little more than a year was leaving for work. She kissed him goodbye and thought she might just lie down for a little while. In just a few minutes she was sound asleep. A couple of hours later she awoke to incredible pain flowing through her body. She was pretty sure this was labor, but even if it wasn’t, something had to be done. She called her husband at work then called for a taxi. He was going to meet her at the hospital. Only four and a half hours later, she cradled her first child. A girl. 8 pounds 4 ounces. They named her Deborah Lynn. Her mother liked that name and she missed her mother.
Only a state away….In Indiana lived a young, single 22 year old woman. She had met a man and things had gotten out of control. She became pregnant. Like the 15 year old, she too was feeling every ounce of her pregnancy weight. She still had 2 months to go before she gave birth, but she had so much on her mind. Determined to keep this child and raise it, she knew it would be hard. Already she loved this baby and she knew they would make it..somehow.
October 8 found her giving birth to a boy. She named him Philip Ray, after his dad…only he didn’t know that and wasn’t interested in anything about him. With a powerful determination she moved forward. She would raise this child and he would be loved. She would make sure of that. For her, there were no other options.
Time marched on. She worked and began life raising a little boy. Then..she met a man. A man, who, this time, truly loved her and loved this little boy. He asked her to marry him. She said yes. He asked to adopt her little boy. Again she said yes. They became a family.
This is how we began. Philip and Deb. This is where our story begins. Please continue to walk with us as we share our love for each other with you….
Anyway, I got to thinking, DH supports me in everything I do, if he wants me to write this, it's the least I can do.
So......here we go.........
Walk with me….let’s go back in time. More than 40 years ago. Before they were even born, before they were even thought about.
How did it begin? Where has their journey taken them and where are they going?
This is a true story about 2 people…very much in love and doing their very best to serve their Savior, raise their family, and make this journey called life the absolute best it can be.
Welcome to their life. They hope you enjoy....
In The Beginning
She was 15. Much too young to get married, but believed that she had met her Prince Charming and that life would be over if she could not be his bride.
He was 21. Tall, thin, dark, black hair and wore a crooked smile. Oh, the trouble he could get into….but he thought she was beautiful. Sure, she was only 15, but she seemed so much older than those 15 years. He wanted her to be his wife, and she wanted to say yes.
Her mom couldn’t believe what was being asked of her. Saying yes to letting her 15 year old daughter marry someone who was 21?? Someone who could be quite hot tempered and could find himself in a lot of trouble at any given time? She wouldn’t do it! NO. She would not allow her only daughter to marry this man. If anyone granted permission for this, it would be her father.
And he did.
That was March 16, 1963.
Let’s move forward. Chicago, Illinois, August 7, 1964. She woke up that morning feeling every ounce of her 9 month pregnancy weight on her small frame. So far from the hills of West Virginia and the place that had been home all of her young life.
Her husband of little more than a year was leaving for work. She kissed him goodbye and thought she might just lie down for a little while. In just a few minutes she was sound asleep. A couple of hours later she awoke to incredible pain flowing through her body. She was pretty sure this was labor, but even if it wasn’t, something had to be done. She called her husband at work then called for a taxi. He was going to meet her at the hospital. Only four and a half hours later, she cradled her first child. A girl. 8 pounds 4 ounces. They named her Deborah Lynn. Her mother liked that name and she missed her mother.
Only a state away….In Indiana lived a young, single 22 year old woman. She had met a man and things had gotten out of control. She became pregnant. Like the 15 year old, she too was feeling every ounce of her pregnancy weight. She still had 2 months to go before she gave birth, but she had so much on her mind. Determined to keep this child and raise it, she knew it would be hard. Already she loved this baby and she knew they would make it..somehow.
October 8 found her giving birth to a boy. She named him Philip Ray, after his dad…only he didn’t know that and wasn’t interested in anything about him. With a powerful determination she moved forward. She would raise this child and he would be loved. She would make sure of that. For her, there were no other options.
Time marched on. She worked and began life raising a little boy. Then..she met a man. A man, who, this time, truly loved her and loved this little boy. He asked her to marry him. She said yes. He asked to adopt her little boy. Again she said yes. They became a family.
This is how we began. Philip and Deb. This is where our story begins. Please continue to walk with us as we share our love for each other with you….
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)