Storytime Tapestry Newsletter

The newsletter devoted to spreading love and cultural awareness around the world.

Feb 16, 2007

Today’s Valentine Stories

~**~**~

Valentine Sweetheart

By Nell Berry    1/20/06

1946, I began the school year as a seventh grade student at Clay Elementary School in St. Louis, Missouri. Being very shy, I was having a difficult time trying to make friends.  I was two years older than most of my classmates but I somehow made friends with a few of them. Soon, I was called to the Principals office and was told that my school records had been received from my home town of Poplar Bluff, Missouri. Therefore I was placed in the eighth grade as I was supposed to be. I was still a year older than these students because I had put my education on hold for a year because of a knee injury I received and had been unable to attend school for two weeks. I didn’t feel I could catch up to my peers at that time, so I discontinued my schooling for a year.

After eighth grade graduation, I entered high school the following year. I was so painfully shy and self conscious and did not have many friends. I became friends with a girl who lived pretty close to my house. She had beautiful red hair and was very attractive and very popular. Shirley had many friends. I was eventually included in her circle of friends and this gave me a feeling of acceptance. We went to movies together and just hung out with her friends. I say her friends because they weren’t really my friends. They just more or less tolerated me because I was Shirley’s friend.

Many times we met at the library after dinner and just hung out. We never opened a book, in fact, I don’t actually remember going into the library; just meeting out in front of it.

One of the guys that frequented the library was a tall thin young man with wavy blond hair and blue eyes. He was a clown, always clowning around with the girls mostly. I guess he had his eye on me and I liked him very much. I always liked guys who made me laugh. He made me laugh. His name oddly enough, or nickname was Bunny. He walked me home from the library that first night and we began dating. We were fifteen years old, he was a sophomore in high school and I was a freshman.

I asked him why he was nicknamed Bunny, “Because when I was a little kid,” he said, “I was a towhead, with white hair like a rabbit’s cotton tail, so they called me Bunny.”

From that day till this I call him Bunny and his mother called him Bunny till she passed away.

Bunny and I dated for a few months then we stopped dating. On his birthday, a year or so later I happened to remember it was his birthday and called him on the phone to wish him happy birthday. He had just bought his first car, a 37 Chevy and he was so proud of it he wanted to come over and show it to me. He paid $75.00 for it. He came over to show off his car and we began dating again. This time it lasted.

I remember once we had gone to a show in downtown St. Louis. On the way home, it was raining, as they used to say, “raining cats and dogs”. In other words it was coming down in bucketsful. The windshield wipers were working overtime and suddenly they went “swish” and off the windshield they went. No more windshield wipers; still raining so hard you could barely see your hand in front of you. But somehow we made it home. It must have stopped raining slightly so Bunny could see to drive because we didn’t have an accident and we got home safely. I laughed hysterically; for some reason that just struck me as funny.

Valentine’s Day, 1950 on my 19^th birthday he gave me an engagement ring; June 24^th of that same year we were married. That was fifty-six years ago and we are still married. We have four children, two girls and two boys. Now we have nine grandchildren and two great grandchildren.

Bio: Nell’s interests are sewing, crocheting, knitting and cooking for her family and writing poems/song lyrics and short stories. She enjoys cooking dinner and having her family come for Christmas and Thanksgiving dinner and just being Mom. She also enjoys going to church and spending time with her church family.

Nell Berry

louis_berry@bellsouth.net

~**~**~

Expressing A Labor of Love

By Cynthia Groopman

On a snowy day, as I stood before a group of would be social workers under going training, my heart was full of love. Smiles were pouring golden sunshine glows throughout the room. Although it was cold and wintry on February 14, 2000, it felt as though the summertime sunshine was radiating my heart and soul.

I was asked by my boss, the supervisor of the meals on Wheels Program at
Dellamonica Center for seniors in Long Island City, NY to educate social
workers about counselling and giving telephone reassurance and support
to the homebound clients. These clients were elderly, frail, sometimes
depressed and lonely. As a speaker and one who is gregarious, asking me
to speak to a group was a joyous task. I always loved to express
opinions, and did not have to write any notes or prepare anything
special since I was an impromptu speaker.

Just one thing, however was bothering me and that was how to make the
people laugh and to break the ice that may exist in a group of strangers
who expected to hear a dry lecture or speech. As I was riding in
Debbie's car to the Steinway Center for social work where the lecture
was to take place, I thought of my german classes in high school and how
I put them to good use. the idea popped into my head and a magic moment
appeared in my heart ready to pour out during the speech.
As I was ushered into the room, there were 60 shining faces of all
nationalities and ages of social workers ready to absorb my pearls of
wisdom.

As I was escorted to the podium, I thought of another February day in
1988 when I lost my eyesight and how magical this moment of speaking to
a group was so remote and distant during those dark early days of
adjustment. However, the labor of love poured out by my folks, family
and friends imbued me with a spirit, a passion to help others and to
give love by word, actions and deeds to others.

The words flowed like the ocean tide on a lovely summer day, smoothly.
As a volunteer professional, one of my tasks of love was to speak to
homebound elderly and to be their link to the outside world, to laugh
with them to share with them my light of love and to reassure them that
they were my friends and beloved to me.

Speaking of how I would call Maria, a lonely German lady of 90 who would
cry due to loneliness each day, I told the group that I would make her
laugh and smile by singing a song to her. Without being asked to sing, I
immediately sang the song, Du Du liegst mir in Heartschen.I sang so
loudly and emotionally in german and made all of the social workers sing
along with me or hum along. Everyone laughed, cheered and applauded me.
How appropriate it was for me to speak about matters of the heart, of
caring and sharing, making a difference in the lives of others to a
group of professional social workers on a day devoted to love.

Valentine's Day is not a mere day of romance of hearts flowers and
gushing. Valentines' Day is everyday, of sharing, turning on the light
of love and sending its brightness deep into the lonely soul of another
and deep caring, sharing and above all kindling the candle of happiness
in a weary heart and smiling and prayers.

Thus, whenever valentines' day arrives, I think of this memorable speech
and how the singing of a German song to a 90 year old lady changed her
life  caused her heart to dance and to sing, lessened her load of
sorrow. We  are told to love thy neighbor as thyself and that is what I
do everyday since 1991 in my volunteer work with the homebound, with the
immigrants and with the disabled.
  2007

Cynthia.Groopman@verizon.net

~**~**~

Valentine Poetry Corner

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Rainbow Reflections

David Fox

On the first look at a rainbow

Many colors were seen

But which color stood out first?

Maybe it was green.

On the second look at a rainbow

I decided maybe instead

The first color was not green

But probably a shade of red.

On the last and final look

All the colors shone through

But all I saw was beauty

Like when I look at you.

Sincerely,

David Fox

davidirafox@yahoo.com

~**~**~

The Hand of Love

Cynthia Groopman

Oh, love's gentle soothing hand,
Comforts the weary and downhearted throughout life's land.
With a touch so soft,
Enfolded are we by optimism's cheerful thoughts.
When we slip and fall,
The strong hand of love supports us to stand straight and tall.
Enveloped into the loving hand of love,
Is as tender and reassuring as angels,
Showering us with blessings from high above.
For God, protects us with His hand of love so deep and kind,
In Him, solace, courage, faith and hope we will forever find.
Cynthia Groopman
Cynthia.Groopman@verizon.net
Copyright ©2007 Cynthia Groopman

~**~**~

Will you be my Valentine?

Monika Pant

Thirteen ghosts sat on the cemetery wall,

Wondering what they could do,

When all at once there came a wailing sound,

They all screamed,” That must be Sue.”

Sure enough, glided the lady in white,

In front of their hollow eyes,

Each of them let out a piercing whistle,

The owls sat up in surprise.

Folks, if you go out on a nightly stroll,

Do not be frightened to see

Fourteen ghostly figures all in a row

Out on a romantic spree.

Monika Pant

mpant65@sify.com

~**~**~

To My Valentine

2006

Nell Berry

A Valentine I’ve always been,

since that’s the day I was born.

A Valentine I’ll always be,

though the title is weathered and worn.

A Valentine I’ve been since birth,

your wife for fifty plus years.

My heart I gave to my true love,

 my Valentine, my husband, my dear.

On Valentine’s Day we became engaged,

fifty-six years ago we were wed.

My heart I gave for as long as we live,

on the day our vows we said.

Happy Valentine’s Day my love,

my companion, my soul mate in life,

my love I give to you still,

forever I’ll be your wife.

Nell Berry

louis_berry@bellsouth.net

Readers Feedback

"YOU ARE 'MY' VALENTINE....NO WAY AROUND IT.....Mom xo xo xo

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY, DEAR CAROL!GOD BLESS YOU!!!YOU ARE DEARLY LOVED BY GOD, AND BY SO VERY MANY OF HIS PEOPLE!!!
THANKS FOR ALL YOU DO, DEAR HEART!!!THANK YOU FOR REACHING OUT TO OTHERS IN HIS LOVE!!!
FRANCES

I love you!; Mags

Carol,
    I think many children have had those same feelings on Valentines day.  I
hope that one day we can create a world where every child feels loved and
cared for.  Wishing you every joy, Joe

I get every beat of your story.  I also had a surprise valentine from an unexpected person.

Georgewaters Ojeigbe