Storytime Tapestry Newsletter

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

January 30, 2008

Today’s Announcement

Don’t forget to order your copy of Angels Watching Over Me, the story of an ordinary woman facing less than ordinary challenges.  Angels Watching Over Me is a story of family love, sacrifices, poverty and an undying faith that makes heroes out of all of us. Here is the link in case you have forgotten it: http://www.lulu.com/content/964306

Important notice: Storytime Tapestry is a free e-zine, however donations are always needed to help with the operating expenses of running the newsletter and to keep Storytime Tapestry the quality newsletter you are so accustomed to.   You can make your donations to paypal at: winterose@videotron.ca, or if you would prefer to use the mail system contact the publisher at the same email address: winterose@videotron.ca

Today’s Stories

  ~**~**~

 People First

Jennifer Oliver

 To touch the soul of another human being is to walk on holy ground.--Stephen R. Covey

When I attended Open House at my son's school, I scanned the bulletin board outside his first-grade classroom.  I spied Cody's handiwork in a colorful sea of papers tacked to the board.

My curious smile froze.

It was a mini-bio of himself, detailing his likes and dislikes.  In one section, he had to write or draw what he did not like.

"MEN," he scrawled in capital letters.

Uh-oh, I thought as fear iced me.  How could Cody not like men?  He loved his daddy!  Did some man do unspeakable things to my child?!

"Cody," I said casually, pointing to the section of dislikes.  "Can you tell me about your work here?"

"Yeah," he replied.  He carefully recited each word slowly.  "I...don't...like...mean."

Such is the world of phonics, writing words the way they sound.

That exercise served to reinforce how our kids perceived the world, divided into two classes:  good and bad.

It didn't matter to them what the person looked like.  You were either good or you were bad.  Like our neighbor next door, for instance.  Miss Doris was a good person, giving the boys treats when they deserved it.

Now the bully on the bus who punched Cody in the stomach...

"He's mean, Mom!" cried Cody.  "He's a bad boy!"

"He's not a bad boy," I replied, drying his tears.  "What he DID was bad.  There's a difference."

That's what the parenting magazines told us to say.  And it made sense, this mass campaign of programming us to think in terms of "people coming first."

People with or without disabilities.

People with or without a steady income.

With or without a home.

With or without goodness.

People first.

But I doubted Cody understood my logic...

...until one warm Saturday morning.

Cody and I arrived at a pizza parlor where a birthday party was being held for his classmate, Kristi.

"Cody!" Kristi shouted, skipping toward him in a cloud of pink ruffles, her thick, blonde hair trained into one long braid down her back.  She was radiant as she hugged him.

"Why, Kristi," I said, "you look beautiful!"

"Thank you," she responded, twirling around.  "Let's go play some games, Cody!"

Cody, unfazed by being the only boy in the handful of attendees, bounced gleefully from one game to another, feeding tokens to hungry machines.

When several pizzas were delivered to the balloon-bedecked tables, Kristi made a point of asking Cody to sit next to her.

When Cody asked for pink lemonade, she informed the waitress with a trace of authority in her voice, "I'll have what he's having."

When it came time for opening presents, Kristi announced, "I want to open Cody's present first!"

He handed her a small package, a pink Ooglie toy that made funny and irreverent noises when one pulled its tail.

"It's for your book bag," Cody said shyly.

"Oh, I love it!" she gushed, hugging him.  "Thank you!"

While everyone was eating cake, Kristi leaned over to me and said, "Mrs. Oliver, Cody is always so nice to me every single day at school.  He's the only one who's never, ever mean to me."

I blinked back tears.  Not just because a little girl was sweet enough to acknowledge Cody's sensitivity to his mother.  But for knowing how cruel kids could be, especially to skinny-challenged girls like Kristi.

My heart ached from the sudden surge of pride that coursed through it.

All I could think of was, by golly, he got it.

Cody got it.

People first.

Jennifer Oliver

~**~**~

I KNOW WHY

Dr. Harmander Singh

"Are you sad?” my friend asked me?

"Not really,” I said.

"Don't lie,” he said.

"I'm both sad and happy,” I said.

"What do you mean?” he asked.

"I'm happy because I know I'm sad,” I said.

"Don't be so ambiguous. Be clear,” he was puzzled.

"Are you happy?” I questioned.

"Yes, I'm happy. But what is this nonsense?” he was more puzzled.

"I know why I'm sad. Is it not a good thing?” I asked him.

"Then why did you say that you're not really sad?” he asked me.

"Have you ever been to a doctor?” I asked.

"Don't disturb me. Doctor for what?” he protested.

"I mean when you tell your problem to the doctor he diagnoses it and you're cured. Is not it?” I asked.

"Yes, its right,” he replied without getting any relevancy.

"You know when it's night, you feel you need to sleep. Is not it?” I again said something irrelevant for relevancy.

"So you mean you know what is wrong you can sing a song. Is it?” he answered knowing my way of talking.

"Yes, when I know why I'm in any mood. I can put myself together to be happy to enjoy even the sadness as the beloved enjoys the grief of separation, with the feelings of sadness but is still satisfied,” we both were silent.

            Then we laughed together.

Daily Moral Insight for a Peaceful Night

Are not we aware of feelings of worthiness when someone considers us worthy of sharing his or her sorrows?

Is not it a great satisfaction when one knows why he or she is sad or happy?

Is not it the profound experience when we are able to convey what we feel and want to say and express?

Is not the relevancy our best expression of self-communication with others and us?

Is not it a great clarity of our mind for our thoughts to harmonize them together to feel the essence of our peace at present without wasting our times above the past and or future?

Dr. Harmander Singh

bhagouauty@gmail.com

~**~**~

Poetry Corner

~**~**~

A Challenge

Conrad S. Cardinal

Travel the path of the warrior, mighty and

strong.

Battle those who oppress you, sing a victory

song.

You are the sons and daughters of mother

earth.

Blessed by the creator since the day of your

birth.

The blessings are yours for the taking, you

must reach out.

You cannot expect success if all you do is

pout.

Honor she who sustains you.

Acknowledge the creatures of earth they are

a blessing too.

Your forefathers fought for what they believed,

though their future was dim.

You too must fight for your rights, continue the

battle for them.

They fought with weapons of war and the knowledge

of right.

You must use education and knowledge for your

weapons to fight.

Do not walk with a heavy heart, thinking there

is no way.

Walk tall and proud with a warriors heart, believe

what I say.

Have faith in the Creator, his blessings you may

receive.

Remember HE can do nothing if you refuse to

believe.

It depends on the action you take, what you

choose to do.

Succeed or fail, it's up to you.

Conrad

cconseth@aol.com

~**~**~

Please Listen

Conrad S. Cardinal

Brothers and sisters of color, please

listen to what I say.

We must not let them give us a reason

to fight each other today.

There are those who would see us fight.

Afraid of the light, they work in the night.

I know that racism is still with us, yet

we've come a long way.

If we let them stop us, success ends

that day.

I believe they're trying to bring America

down from with in.

Allowing them to divide us would be a

terrible sin.

Understand it would stop the flow of God's

love.

It would limit the influence the Spirit brings

from above.

Whether we face political agenda or the

disciples of hate.

We must band together, so we control

our fate.

No matter our color, we are all children

of God, his love to share.

We can defeat this enemy, if we only

dare.

Dare to trust each other, not listening to those

who lie.

Please join me brothers and sisters, lets

give it a try.

Conrad

cconseth@aol.com

~**~**~

 Jesus In Gethsemane

Conrad S. Cardinal

Have you wondered what Jesus must

have thought?

Knowing what he was about to do, for

some would be for naught.

Praying in Gethsemane, feeling lost

and alone.

Feeling guilt and pain for sins, not his

own.

Those who walked beside him, didn't

understand.

How would those who came later, know

to take his hand?

So many walk through life never stopping

to see.

Never realizing what he had done and why

it had to be.

His sacrifice, the most precious gift you

and I could receive.

It must hurt and bring despair when so

many don't believe.

For one to give his life for another is the

ultimate sacrifice.

Nothing more should be required, it

certainly should suffice.

Conrad

cconseth@aol.com

 Readers Feedback

~**~**~

 Carol,
    Thanks for sharing my work today.  You are such a good friend.
You have worked so hard to make Storytime the wonderful sharing
it is today.  This world is a bit better thanks to what you have done
here.  Wishing you every joy, Joe

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, Marilyn Sink, Victor Buhagiar, Clarice Hinson, Conrad Cardinal,