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| << September12, 2007 - September 12, 2007 - Special Treat - Peggy Ann Doak |
September13, 2007 - September 13, 2007 - Special Treat - Peggy Ann Doak >> |
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Storytime Tapestry Newsletter The newsletter devoted to
spreading love and cultural awareness around the world. Publishers Favourite Sites: Rosanne Catalano http://www.rosannecatalano.net/ Michael Smith http://subs.zinester.com/86758/ Barbara Weymouth penwormprayerwarriors-subscribe@yahoogroups.com Helen Dowd Dean Perchick Today’s Announcements Happy Birthday Robert White: poeticrob@hotmail.com Happy Birthday David Scott Brown: saskiaofthewoods@yahoo.de Today’s Stories ~**~**~ SHE TOUCHED
MY LIFE Sharon Bryant I was thirteen years old when
I met him. His name was Bob and he was marrying my cousin. My cousin Pam, was seventeen
and Bob was twenty-years old. I was at their wedding and I
remember thinking Pam was so young to be getting married. Just a few short years before,
we had been sledding together, dressing up in our mom's clothes, and having a
good time. I didn't see a lot of Pam
after her marriage. She and Bob moved on the other side of town. My
grandma used to tell me that she'd heard Pam was doing ok. Five years later I found out
Pam was pregnant. I was just graduating high school that year.
Again, I remembered our youth years together and couldn't imagine Pam having a
baby. Bob was working at one of the
auto plants in Through the years, Bob and Pam
had four children. Pam's last one and my middle child was born a month
apart. I remember when she wanted to name her baby Alicia, the name I'd
picked out for my own child. We laughed through the years because neither
one of us named our babies Alicia. Pam and Bob's last
child, Lynn, was found to have a brain tumor at the age of
two-years-old. By this time they had moved closer to my area and I was
seeing a lot of them. As long as I live, I will
never forget the love that I saw in their home. When doctors suggested
they put their child in a home, both refused. I was at their home many
times when I was on vacation when the end
came. I was not aware that The funeral was
horrendous. Having lost a child myself, I knew Pam and Bob's pain.
It broke my heart. All those years, Pam and Bob
had never taken a vacation. A little jaunt to the lake, but not a real
vacation. They were always afraid to leave Finally the time came for
Bob's retirement. They had made plans. A real vacation. They
were planning that vacation when Bob was brushing his teeth one morning, went
to rinse his mouth and there was blood. He had just had his
check up at the plant right before retirement. Back to the doctor, to be
told he had lung cancer. I was with them almost
daily. I saw Bob withdraw from a happy-go-lucky man into a silent
stranger. What I would have given to see him smile again. What Pam
and their three children would have given. The cancer spread quickly and
Hospice of The hospice nurse was there
when I arrived that last day. Pam and her kids were basket cases.
Everyone was. The nurse called me into the kitchen and asked if I was
Pam's cousin. I told her yes. She told me she had to run out
for an hour to another patient, but Bob would have to have a shot in less
than an hour, and she wanted me to give it to him if she didn't make it back in
time. I was horrified. I was not a nurse. I knew nothing
about giving shots. She opened the refrigerator and saw a bag of
oranges. She told me to take an orange, she was going to show me how to
give the shot. I told her I couldn't do that. Bob's arms were so
thin, I was afraid I'd hurt him. She told me I was the only one she could
count on. I thank God that she made it
back in time and I did not have to give Bob that shot. What I remember most about
that night was that nurse and her kindness to my cousin and her family. I
saw compassion in a way some seldom see. When the nurse whispered it
was only minutes, and the family should stand by the bed, I knew it was tough. Bob's son was so
distraught, he was sitting on the couch crying. The nurse and I tried to
tell him this would be his last memory of his father. "I can't see
him like that, I just can't", he said. With the compassion that
nurse had in her, she bent down in front of Bob's son and told him how much his
dad loved him. I watched with tears in my own eyes, thinking of my own
father and if I were in the shoes Bob's son was, how I would feel. Bob left us with a memory, one
I myself and Pam's family will never forget. We were all standing at his
bedside, when suddenly he sat up and raised his hands towards the ceiling and
the biggest smile broke out on his face. I knew then he was seeing
someone. "It's The hospice nurse was standing
next to me. I looked at her and saw the tears sliding down her own
face. She had only known this family for a short time, and yet, she
became part of the family. Her love, devotion to her profession, and her
compassion was something we all remember to this day. I have online
support for parents who have lost a child. I allow no one on the
site unless they have lost a child. Three years ago a hospice nurse
contacted me and asked if she could view some of the stories from
parents. I asked her why she would want to do that. She told me
that many times, she has to go into homes where a child is dying. "I
never really know what to say to a parent," she told me. "It's
so hard when it's a child." She was allowed to join my
online support. I know from hearing from parents who have had to sit for
weeks and months with a sick child in a hospital, how hard it is. We
never give up hope until the last breath is taken. The I think those that work in
hospice are all angels. I think it takes a special person to do the
work that they do. I'll never forget when Bob died, the way the hospice
nurse put her arms around my cousin and her children and told them how special
Bob had become to her. She told us that Pam's family touched her life. Little does she know how much
she touched mine. Sharon Bryant 1946@bellsouth.net ~**~**~ ValueSpeak A Weekly Column By Joseph Walker valuespeak@msn.com PROTECTING
ME FROM ME I’ve never
been much of a hat person. There are two
reasons for this. First is my history. I grew up during the free-wheeling,
devil may care, we-love-the-feeling-of-the-wind-in-our-long-flowing-hair 1960s
and 1970s. Our fathers wore hats. So did cowboys, detectives and Mouseketeers.
The only really cool people who wore hats were baseball players. But they only
wore their hats while they were playing baseball. They were utilitarian. And I
wasn’t interested in anything utilitarian. That was way too “establishment” for
me. The second
reason is . . . well, my head. It’s huge. And my face is kind of round. Picture
one of those yellow smiley faces. Now put a hat on it. Sorta dorky, huh? I rest my
case. So when my
wife, Anita, suggested that I wear a hat to the football game last Saturday, I
pretty much shrugged it off. “I don’t
think I’ll need one,” I said. “It’s going
to be hot, and you’ll be sitting in the sun all afternoon,” she said. “I’ll be
fine,” I said. And out the door I went with my teenage son, Jon. When we got
to the stadium Jon decided that HE needed a hat. He picked out a great one, and
urged me to do the same. “I’ll be
fine,” I said. “Well, at
least get some sun block,” he said, pressing a small tube into my hand. I put the sun
block back on the shelf. “I’ll be fine,” I said. You already
know what’s coming, don’t you? We had a great
time at the game – our team won! We had terrific seats in the east bleachers –
facing the afternoon sun. All told we sat there, broiling in 95 degree
temperatures, for more than four hours. I was feeling
exhilarated – albeit a little over-baked – as we made our way back to the car.
We talked about the game and decided our team would do well against next week’s
nationally ranked opponent. By the time we fought through the post-game traffic
and pulled into our driveway we had strategized an undefeated season and a
national championship. Unfortunately,
my face was on fire. And my arms. My head ached, I was sore all over, the room
was spinning and my stomach was churning. Other than
that, I was fine. “You look
fried,” Anita said as she reached for the pain-killing antiseptic spray. “Maybe a
little,” I moaned as I collapsed into the first chair that spun past me. “I tried to
get him to wear some sun block,” Jon said. “I really tried.” “I know,”
Anita said as she vigorously sprayed my arms and face. “Sometimes you just
can’t save him from himself.” I didn’t care
for the way they were speaking about me as if I wasn’t there. But when I tried
to object, my mouth wouldn’t move. I think it was welded shut. So I just sat
there while my wife tenderly ministered to me. To her credit, she never said “I
told you so.” But she was thinking it. I could tell by the bemused little smile
on her face. She was thinking it. Big time. And with good
reason. People who love me tried to protect me. But I refused to be protected.
Unfortunately, there are a lot of us who do that. Despite warnings and
objections from important people in our lives we don’t eat right. We don’t get
enough exercise. We don’t wear a seat belt when we drive. We don’t get enough
sleep. We think we’re fine. We’ve got everything under control. Then one day we
get burned – sometimes literally. Well, I don’t
know about you, but I’m going to start paying more attention to those who are
trying to warn me about . . . well . . . me. I can’t promise that I’ll always
do what they tell me to do. But I’ll at least listen. And I’ll wear
that hat. ~**~**~ Poetry Corner ~**~**~ Alone with my thoughts Apples and cherries Balloon drifting away Bare branches on trees Bare rocks, gnarled tree trunks Beauty escapes
me Readers Feedback Dogs That I Have Known. Lad
- Great
story Bill. Collies are the best. Angela, Owned
by Chloe, http://www.loveourpets.com/mycolliehaven HCR Adoptions
Coordinator www.houstoncollierescue.petfinder.com Storytime Tapestry Angels Angels on earth, they exist they are out there. Angels come in all ages, shapes and sizes,
civil status, and religion. Their nature
is love and their purpose is giving to the less fortunate of this world. Storytime Tapestry angels are no
exception. These angels are loyal
members who have contributed to the upkeep of Storytime Tapestry newsletter so
that Storytime Tapestry can continue come to your email Here is our Storytime
Tapestry Angels: Also, I would like to thank those of you who chose to
be a silent angel and gave an anonymous donation to keep Storytime
Tapestry up and running. Clara Westerfer, Mark Crider,
Rosanne Catalano, Paula Booher, Kay Seefeldt, Mariane Holbrook, Mary Ellen
Grisham, Louise Nomani, Sharon Bryant, Angela Walker, Hart and Helen Dowd,
Keith Ready, Ginger Morgenstern, Ellie Braun-Haley, Surinder Jandu, Bob Shaw,
Carol Meeks, Charlotte Hilliard, Maria Keller
Storytime Tapestry Newsletter The newsletter devoted to
spreading love and cultural awareness around the world. Publishers Favourite Sites: Rosanne Catalano http://www.rosannecatalano.net/ Michael Smith http://subs.zinester.com/86758/ Barbara Weymouth penwormprayerwarriors-subscribe@yahoogroups.com Helen Dowd Dean Perchick Today’s Announcements Happy Birthday Robert White: poeticrob@hotmail.com Happy Birthday David Scott Brown: saskiaofthewoods@yahoo.de Today’s Stories ~**~**~ SHE TOUCHED MY LIFE Sharon Bryant I was thirteen years old when
I met him. His name was Bob and he was marrying my cousin. My cousin Pam, was seventeen
and Bob was twenty-years old. I was at their wedding and I
remember thinking Pam was so young to be getting married. Just a few short years before,
we had been sledding together, dressing up in our mom's clothes, and having a
good time. I didn't see a lot of Pam
after her marriage. She and Bob moved on the other side of town. My
grandma used to tell me that she'd heard Pam was doing ok. Five years later I found out
Pam was pregnant. I was just graduating high school that year.
Again, I remembered our youth years together and couldn't imagine Pam having a
baby. Bob was working at one of the
auto plants in Through the years, Bob and Pam
had four children. Pam's last one and my middle child was born a month
apart. I remember when she wanted to name her baby Alicia, the name I'd
picked out for my own child. We laughed through the years because neither
one of us named our babies Alicia. Pam and Bob's last
child, Lynn, was found to have a brain tumor at the age of
two-years-old. By this time they had moved closer to my area and I was
seeing a lot of them. As long as I live, I will
never forget the love that I saw in their home. When doctors suggested
they put their child in a home, both refused. I was at their home many
times when I was on vacation when the end
came. I was not aware that The funeral was
horrendous. Having lost a child myself, I knew Pam and Bob's pain.
It broke my heart. All those years, Pam and Bob
had never taken a vacation. A little jaunt to the lake, but not a real
vacation. They were always afraid to leave Finally the time came for
Bob's retirement. They had made plans. A real vacation. They
were planning that vacation when Bob was brushing his teeth one morning, went
to rinse his mouth and there was blood. He had just had his
check up at the plant right before retirement. Back to the doctor, to be
told he had lung cancer. I was with them almost
daily. I saw Bob withdraw from a happy-go-lucky man into a silent
stranger. What I would have given to see him smile again. What Pam
and their three children would have given. The cancer spread quickly and
Hospice of The hospice nurse was there
when I arrived that last day. Pam and her kids were basket cases.
Everyone was. The nurse called me into the kitchen and asked if I was
Pam's cousin. I told her yes. She told me she had to run out
for an hour to another patient, but Bob would have to have a shot in less
than an hour, and she wanted me to give it to him if she didn't make it back in
time. I was horrified. I was not a nurse. I knew nothing
about giving shots. She opened the refrigerator and saw a bag of
oranges. She told me to take an orange, she was going to show me how to
give the shot. I told her I couldn't do that. Bob's arms were so
thin, I was afraid I'd hurt him. She told me I was the only one she could
count on. I thank God that she made it
back in time and I did not have to give Bob that shot. What I remember most about
that night was that nurse and her kindness to my cousin and her family. I
saw compassion in a way some seldom see. When the nurse whispered it
was only minutes, and the family should stand by the bed, I knew it was tough. Bob's son was so
distraught, he was sitting on the couch crying. The nurse and I tried to
tell him this would be his last memory of his father. "I can't see
him like that, I just can't", he said. With the compassion that
nurse had in her, she bent down in front of Bob's son and told him how much his
dad loved him. I watched with tears in my own eyes, thinking of my own
father and if I were in the shoes Bob's son was, how I would feel. Bob left us with a memory, one
I myself and Pam's family will never forget. We were all standing at his
bedside, when suddenly he sat up and raised his hands towards the ceiling and
the biggest smile broke out on his face. I knew then he was seeing
someone. "It's The hospice nurse was standing
next to me. I looked at her and saw the tears sliding down her own
face. She had only known this family for a short time, and yet, she
became part of the family. Her love, devotion to her profession, and her
compassion was something we all remember to this day. I have online
support for parents who have lost a child. I allow no one on the
site unless they have lost a child. Three years ago a hospice nurse
contacted me and asked if she could view some of the stories from
parents. I asked her why she would want to do that. She told me
that many times, she has to go into homes where a child is dying. "I
never really know what to say to a parent," she told me. "It's
so hard when it's a child." She was allowed to join my
online support. I know from hearing from parents who have had to sit for
weeks and months with a sick child in a hospital, how hard it is. We
never give up hope until the last breath is taken. The I think those that work in
hospice are all angels. I think it takes a special person to do the
work that they do. I'll never forget when Bob died, the way the hospice
nurse put her arms around my cousin and her children and told them how special
Bob had become to her. She told us that Pam's family touched her life. Little does she know how much
she touched mine. Sharon Bryant 1946@bellsouth.net ~**~**~ ValueSpeak A Weekly Column By Joseph Walker valuespeak@msn.com PROTECTING
ME FROM ME I’ve never
been much of a hat person. There are two
reasons for this. First is my history. I grew up during the free-wheeling,
devil may care, we-love-the-feeling-of-the-wind-in-our-long-flowing-hair 1960s
and 1970s. Our fathers wore hats. So did cowboys, detectives and Mouseketeers.
The only really cool people who wore hats were baseball players. But they only
wore their hats while they were playing baseball. They were utilitarian. And I
wasn’t interested in anything utilitarian. That was way too “establishment” for
me. The second
reason is . . . well, my head. It’s huge. And my face is kind of round. Picture
one of those yellow smiley faces. Now put a hat on it. Sorta dorky, huh? I rest my
case. So when my
wife, Anita, suggested that I wear a hat to the football game last Saturday, I
pretty much shrugged it off. “I don’t
think I’ll need one,” I said. “It’s going
to be hot, and you’ll be sitting in the sun all afternoon,” she said. “I’ll be
fine,” I said. And out the door I went with my teenage son, Jon. When we got
to the stadium Jon decided that HE needed a hat. He picked out a great one, and
urged me to do the same. “I’ll be
fine,” I said. “Well, at
least get some sun block,” he said, pressing a small tube into my hand. I put the sun
block back on the shelf. “I’ll be fine,” I said. You already
know what’s coming, don’t you? We had a great
time at the game – our team won! We had terrific seats in the east bleachers –
facing the afternoon sun. All told we sat there, broiling in 95 degree
temperatures, for more than four hours. I was feeling
exhilarated – albeit a little over-baked – as we made our way back to the car.
We talked about the game and decided our team would do well against next week’s
nationally ranked opponent. By the time we fought through the post-game traffic
and pulled into our driveway we had strategized an undefeated season and a
national championship. Unfortunately,
my face was on fire. And my arms. My head ached, I was sore all over, the room
was spinning and my stomach was churning. Other than
that, I was fine. “You look
fried,” Anita said as she reached for the pain-killing antiseptic spray. “Maybe a
little,” I moaned as I collapsed into the first chair that spun past me. “I tried to
get him to wear some sun block,” Jon said. “I really tried.” “I know,”
Anita said as she vigorously sprayed my arms and face. “Sometimes you just
can’t save him from himself.” I didn’t care
for the way they were speaking about me as if I wasn’t there. But when I tried
to object, my mouth wouldn’t move. I think it was welded shut. So I just sat
there while my wife tenderly ministered to me. To her credit, she never said “I
told you so.” But she was thinking it. I could tell by the bemused little smile
on her face. She was thinking it. Big time. And with good
reason. People who love me tried to protect me. But I refused to be protected.
Unfortunately, there are a lot of us who do that. Despite warnings and
objections from important people in our lives we don’t eat right. We don’t get
enough exercise. We don’t wear a seat belt when we drive. We don’t get enough
sleep. We think we’re fine. We’ve got everything under control. Then one day we
get burned – sometimes literally. Well, I don’t
know about you, but I’m going to start paying more attention to those who are
trying to warn me about . . . well . . . me. I can’t promise that I’ll always
do what they tell me to do. But I’ll at least listen. And I’ll wear
that hat. ~**~**~ Poetry Corner ~**~**~ Alone with my thoughts Apples and cherries Balloon drifting away Bare branches on trees Bare rocks, gnarled tree trunks Beauty escapes
me Readers Feedback Dogs That I Have Known. Lad
- Great
story Bill. Collies are the best. Angela, Owned
by Chloe, http://www.loveourpets.com/mycolliehaven HCR Adoptions
Coordinator www.houstoncollierescue.petfinder.com Storytime Tapestry Angels Angels on earth, they exist they are out there. Angels come in all ages, shapes and sizes,
civil status, and religion. Their nature
is love and their purpose is giving to the less fortunate of this world. Storytime Tapestry angels are no
exception. These angels are loyal
members who have contributed to the upkeep of Storytime Tapestry newsletter so
that Storytime Tapestry can continue come to your email Here is our Storytime
Tapestry Angels: Also, I would like to thank those of you who chose to
be a silent angel and gave an anonymous donation to keep Storytime
Tapestry up and running. Clara Westerfer, Mark Crider,
Rosanne Catalano, Paula Booher, Kay Seefeldt, Mariane Holbrook, Mary Ellen
Grisham, Louise Nomani, Sharon Bryant, Angela Walker, Hart and Helen Dowd,
Keith Ready, Ginger Morgenstern, Ellie Braun-Haley, Surinder Jandu, Bob Shaw,
Carol Meeks, Charlotte Hilliard, Maria Keller
|
|
| << September12, 2007 - September 12, 2007 - Special Treat - Peggy Ann Doak |
September13, 2007 - September 13, 2007 - Special Treat - Peggy Ann Doak >> |
|
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