STORYTIME TAPESTRY

The Newsletter devoted to spreading love and cultural awareness throughout the world

July 26, 2005 

Today's Queue Stories
~**~**~**~

I looked Into Her Eyes

Sharon Bryant

She was three years old the day I met her.  I looked into the saddest eyes I've ever seen on a little girl.  Beautiful long blond hair cascaded down her back and feathered her cheeks.  I noticed a large scar down one side of her face, but never mentioned it.  I looked up at her mother and saw another pair of sad eyes.

I couldn't figure out what could have happened for a child so young to look so sad or for a mother who carried the same look.

I got on my knees and got close to eye level with the little girl.  "How would you like a bag of cotton candy?" I asked her.  She didn't look at me for a moment.  I said, "I'll give you one if you tell me you like cotton candy."

It was then she looked into my eyes.  The little blond head slowly nodded yes.

I looked up to her mom and said, "Is it ok with you?"  I saw tears sliding down her cheeks as she nodded her head yes.

I stood up and reached for a bag of cotton candy and handed it to the little girl.  Her mom kept thanking me, and I brushed it off, saying, "I have kids too."

It was then she told me the story.

You may have read about this little blond girl just a few years ago.  You may have seen the photos on television.  Her name is Amy Crowder.  Children's Hospital in Birmingham, Alabama dedicated their annual pamphlet to her. 

Amy was the last survivor of the F5 tornado that struck Tuscaloosa, Alabama that year.  The day I met her, she was released from Children's Hospital where she spent over three months.

Her brother was killed in that horrible tornado, as well as her daddy.

Amy is very conscious of the scar that is on her face.

After her mom told me who she was, I remembered reading about her in the paper and seeing the rescue team that found her barely alive.

Before Amy and her mom left my shop that day, I bent down again to Amy and said, "You are a very beautiful little girl."  I then handed her a stuffed animal I had on display.  It was then I saw a spark in those little eyes and a hint of a smile on her small face.

I then handed her mom a card and told her I too had lost a child and if she ever needed to talk, just call me or email me.

Amy has never been in my shop since that day.  I've often thought of her, her mom, and how they are doing with the two losses they both had the day so many lost their lives in that terrible tornado that struck central Alabama.

Since that day, we now have a tornado shelter built into the ground.  I live less than 20 miles from where Amy's brother and father died.  I know these storms.  I know loss.  And I know that there is a reason for everything, and that Amy and her mom's lives were spared was for a reason.  But I'm also glad I had the opportunity to meet that little blue-eyed girl who had the saddest eyes I have ever seen.

Sharon Bryant

1946 @bellsouth.net

About Me:

 I am Sharon Bryant, 59 years old and reside in Alabama.

I lost my child in 1977 when he was five and I write
articles on bereavement often.

I am a chocolate/candy maker and also a wood crafter and knitter.

I am married to a wonderful man, and have two remaining children, a daughter 25,
Amy, and a second son, Randy, age 22.

My main goal in life is to help those who
have lost a child. My website is: www.angelsremembered.tk

~**~**~ 

From Jan??™s Desk:

My friend Kendra woke me up this morning, telling me her car was broke, please come pick her up.  Of course, I said, I??™ll be right there and rushed to get ready to go get her. Since I wasn??™t sure exactly where she was, I drove to the school and slowly drove around the building until I saw her leaning against a window. 

Two year old Gabriel in tow here she came out the door and hopped in my ???Sploder. 

We chattered a bit, her about how hard it is to keep the family going on one paycheck, and me about having only one person to make a paycheck.  And the day went on.  Because her car was really broke ??“ I took her for groceries later, and we played taxi for a bit carting her kids around then mine.  I kept thinking how nice it was to have a friend. 

Along the way, we??™ve exchanged favors a few times.  Once she rushed me to Denver to an emergency situation with my daughter, and I??™ve taken her to Roswell to get her daughter and grandbabies.  She??™s not my only friend; I have many who have similar life crossing stories to tell.  But this moment of minor crisis reminded me how nicely intertwined our lives are with friends, often out of need.  Those same good friends are available during good times and bad, no matter the need that arises.  I have someone to call and say, ???Help, can you come get me, my car broke down.???

What a blessing it is to be so well blessed in life by people who love me.

http://www.prepaidlegal.com/go/janverhoeff

Visit my weblogs at http://writeurthoughts.blogspot.com and http://coffeeclatter.blogspot.com

Make it a happy day - Blessings.

~**~**~ 

ValueSpeak

A Weekly Column

By Joseph Walker

valuespeak@msn.com

DR. SHONI: WHY NOT?

            I don't think Shoni tried to be intimidating.  She just was.

            The guys at my high school 32 years ago were intimidated because she was tall, graceful and gorgeous.  The girls were intimidated because she wasn't JUST tall, graceful and gorgeous.  She was also talented -- a cheerleader with true athletic gifts -- and she was friendly and personable.  I didn't know anyone who didn't like Shoni.

            Except those who were . . . you know . . . intimidated by her.

            The one place where Shoni was less than intimidating was in the classroom.  Not that she was an air head or anything.  You only had to talk to her to know that the light was definitely on in her attic.  But she wasn't exactly an academic all-star, either.  And that was OK.  I mean, she had so much going for her, nobody was going to worry about her if she wasn't Stephen Hawking scholastically.  Most of us figured she'd marry some handsome, rich football player and lead cheers happily ever after.

            So when I bumped into Shoni the other day, I was expecting . . . well, I don't know what I was expecting.  She still looked great, but in a comfortable, Earth Mother sort of way.  She still was enthusiastic, but enthusiastically dignified.  She still was energetic and friendly, but also disciplined and controlled.  None of which was especially surprising.  What did throw me off a little was when she told me that she isn't just Shoni anymore.  As of the end of the current academic year she is Dr. Shoni, Ph.D.

            "I didn't know they gave doctorates in cheerleading," I said when she shared her exciting news with me.  In retrospect, that was a thoughtless, demeaning, stereotypical thing to say, and she would have been completely justified in being offended and giving me a piece of her highly educated mind.  But she just laughed charmingly -- probably because, as a brand new professional psychologist, she has studied all kinds of neuroses and understands that I can't help being an idiot.

            So I abandoned feeble attempts at humor.  "I don't know how to ask this, Shoni, but  . . . "

            "But what's a nice little cheerleader like me doing with a Ph.D.???? she interjected good-naturedly.  "I know -- I ask myself that question all the time."

            "And how do you answer yourself?" I asked, feeling appropriately Freudian.

            "Well,??? she said, ???the only answer I can come up with is another question: why not?"

            "Why not what?" I asked.

            "Why not get a doctorate?" she said.  "That's what my husband asked me.  He knows I've always been interested in psychology, and I felt like I could help people through counseling.  But I'd been out of school for years, and even when I was in school I wasn't . . . well, you know."

            Yeah, I knew.

            "It wasn't that I was dumb," she continued.  "I just didn't see the point of being smart.  But when Brad asked why I shouldn't go to college and get the training I would need to become a therapist, I couldn't come up with a single valid reason.  By asking `why not,' Brad told me he believed in me, and somehow that helped me to believe in myself.  So I did it."

            Sounds simple.  Of course, it wasn't.  Since she didn't start out with even a bachelor's degree, the process required years of effort and sacrifice by their entire family.  But the familiar sparkle in her eyes told me it was worth it.  And to think that this extraordinary accomplishment began with two simple but terribly profound words from someone who loves and believes in her: "Why not?"

            Now, that's intimidating.

Poetry Section

~**~**~

Dear Friend

Debra Shiveley

May God watch over you

And keep you each day.

May sorrow and loneliness,

Never come your way.

May all your days

Be merry and bright.

May you forever see

The Guiding Light.

May our wonderful friendship

Forever be.

And may we also be friends

In Eternity.

D. E. Shiveley Copyright 1987

~**~**~

Never

Debra Shiveley

What wouldn't,

And couldn't,

And didn't,

Perhaps shouldn't.

What isn't,

Wasn't,

Won't -

Forever.

What's finished,

Isn't.

What started,

Didn't -

Ever.

D. E. Shiveley Copyright 1978

~**~**~

Pick-Ture This

If I were an apple

Hanging on tree,

I'd pray that you would be the one

To pick me 'specially!

D. E. Shiveley  Copyright 1978

~**~**~

Writers Feedback

Joseph Walker - Rejecting Rejection.  I really thought there was a lot of value in this article.  Very motivating indeed.  Thanks Joseph.       Gabrielle Morgan.

Kathy, "Shortcut to the Cemetery" is a great read, it held my interest to the end, I could sense the poor man's frustration well.   Well done!

Kathleene Baker's story about Shiloh is so precious.  Her readers are right there in Shiloh's mind, hearing feeling everything she does.

Love,

Barb

Prayer Requests and Updates

Urgent & Immediate Special Request 

Vanderbilt Burn Center.
On Wednesday, July 13th, my friend's wife and three
children were exiting HWY
109 in Lebanon, TN. and got on Interstate 40 heading
east.  A pickup truck
heading west on I-40 loss control and hydroplaned
across the median at an
excessive speed and struck my friend's wife's vehicle.
 The impact was so hard
that it snapped off the back of the pickup truck that
struck my friend's wife's
vehicle.  Susie Bowman was crushed inside the vehicle
and sustained broken
shoulders and arms.  Miraculously, she was able to
dial 911 while burning inside
the vehicle.  Susie and one of her daughters were Life
Flighted to Vanderbilt
University.  The oldest daughter was released
yesterday.  However, Susie is
fighting for her life at The Vanderbilt Burn Center.
She is suffering from 4th
degree burns from her waist down.  She has lost one of
her legs below the knee.
The physicians are fighting to save her other leg.
She is
suffering numerous fractures across her upper torso
and is on a respirator.
The children are all in counseling.  One of the
younger boys opened up today to
his psychiatrist and shared that he saw his mother
burning and is struggling
emotionally.  The other is not much older than my son
and needs lots of prayers.
Steve has asked me to send out an email to ask for all
of you to pray for
Susana's recovery and for his family.  Please send
this email to as many people
as possible to initiate and maintain an endless prayer
chain.  It would mean a
lot to me if you would honor this request.  This
family means a lot to my family
and myself.
Steve is in the process of trying to work with Channel
4 News to coordinate a
blood drive.  There may be a way to donate blood in
Susan's name that will help
her receive the blood she urgently needs.  There is a
huge shortage of Negative
blood in this area and if the accident happened last
week, there was not any
available.
Myr8082@aol.com

Ministering To Others
To be effective in helping others
we  must be comfortable inside
having walked the road of heartache
with no  unhealed scars to hide.
We must be a willing servant
to which God  can carve and mold...
after knowing and surrendering
all our burdens,  new and old.
We can turn our trials to triumphs
and help others  along the way...
after all our tears have disappeared,
God will use us  every day.

Be Blessed!

SENIOR WRITERS

Agee, Vance;  Apted, Violet;  Baker, Kathy;  Batt, Al;  Berry, Nell;

Boda, Ginger;  Bryant, Sharon;  Buhagiar, Victor; Cassady, B.J.;  Crider, Mark; 

Deming, Barb; Goodier, Steve;  Harris, Kathy Anne; Hunt, Sharlette; 

Jacobson, Gary;  Kiser, Roger Dean; Kerens, Claudia; Jenkins, Pamela;

Liles, Norma;  Mazzella, Joe; Ojeigbe, Georgewaters;

  Petry, Dianna Doles; Roberts, Susan;  Shaw, Bob; Sims, Richard; Swarner, Ken; Vaknin, Sam;

Walker, Bill;  Walker, Joe; Warner, Gorden K;

Whirity, Kathy;  White, Robert;

STORYTIME TAPESTRY STAFF

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Moderator: Clara Westerfer

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