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{Straight From the Heart} *Thanks for the Memories* 3/22/00
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Welcome to "Straight From the Heart!"
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It's good to be back...
Vacation was memorable for me, in more ways than one. A trip filled
with Alligators, Manatees, Mickey Mouse, delayed flights, and a car
that broke down on me at 1:00 am on my way back home from the airport.
Memorable indeed...
I wrote two new stories, which I will share in the next month or
so, and I have some more exciting news (For me at least!) about the
my involvement with the new Heartwarmers book. Can you say: "TV
appearances!!!" I will let everyone know as I get all the details...
So without further delay, I introduce to you author Deborah Simmons
and her story about a memorable dining experience. A great way to
start back up again!
Michael
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Thanks for the Memories
by Deborah Dee Simmons
It was a Sunday morning and John and I were enjoying a late breakfast at the
Cracker Barrel when the hostess seated them across the aisle from us. The
mother was probably in her mid-twenties and her three children, a daughter
and two sons, each an inch or two taller than their younger sibling,
appeared to be about two, three, and four years old, respectively. The
little girl was dressed in a pink knit top with matching leggings and had
her mother's eyes. The two boys sported traditional ³little boy² haircuts
and wore tiny blue jeans. After much grunting and wiggling around, they
managed to remove their coats, hats, and mittens and finally settled into
their appointed chairs. The little girl was seated next to her mother and
the two boys sat opposite them.
I wondered if the young woman was married, divorced, or widowed. It
appeared that no other adult was expected to join them and no one did.
They sat there, just the four of them, waiting for their meal. The kids did
what kids always do when they wait--they alternately squirmed, pouted,
giggled, protested, yelped, punched one another, sat quietly and
occasionally slurped through the straw of their plastic-lidded drink cup.
In response, their mother nodded, patted, cuddled, scolded, laughed,
corrected, hugged, or sighed. She seemed to sigh a lot. And she looked tired.
The memories came flooding back and for a while, I was adrift in a
bittersweet sea of images--glimpses into my busy life so many years ago. The
children and I were sitting in Bob Evans or McDonald's or on really special
occasions, Bill Knapp's. Derek, the man of the family at the time, was only
four years old; Darice was three, Dennae was barely two. They, too,
wiggled and squirmed, argued among themselves one minute, then giggled
companionably the next, and took turns as each other's worst enemy, best
friend, and coconspirator. I alternately laughed, scolded, wiped off,
mopped up, corrected, played along, snuggled, giggled and sighed. And like
the young mom, I remember sighing a lot, too--and being tired, so very
tired. I often wondered if I would ever not be.
I wanted to catch the young mom's eye and smile at her encouragingly, to
compliment her on the behavior of her sweet children and her wisdom in
bringing them in that morning to mingle with the rest of us. I wanted to
praise her for bringing them to a "sit down" restaurant, for loving them
enough to teach them manners, for being their protector, their teacher, and
the one to whom they turn for approval, correction, love and support.
I wanted to reassure her that her life will get easier, that someday she
won't be so tired, and that she will always sigh--but not always out of
weariness. Sometimes, it will just be the sad realization that time is
fleeting and (to quote from a poem I've written)....
...that life and time, like water flow,
their passage hindered not....
by harried days and busy nights,
and worries best forgot....
I wanted to warn her that those tiny, squirming youngsters will grow tall in
the blink of an eye; urge her to commit to memory today's sights and sounds
and sensations; and reassure her that mornings like these, spent in the
company of the most special people in her life, will weave a blanket of
precious memories to warm her in the years to come.
Most of all, I wanted my tiny children back. I wanted to see restaurant
place mats turned into colorful, crayon-covered masterpieces, to pour catsup
on French fries and wipe up spills, to cut hamburgers in half and feel
sticky little mouths giving me syrupy kisses. I wanted to tuck chubby hands
into fuzzy mittens, button up bulky coats and tug on uncooperative boots. I
wanted to hug my children's tiny shoulders and glory in the caress of their
soft hair against my cheek once more. And for a little while, I lost myself
in a rush of sweet memories.
It was time to leave. I took one last, lingering look as the four of them
continued to unwittingly reenact my past. I wanted to thank them for
bringing back those precious recollections. I wanted to--but I didn't.
If you ask me...I should have.
Deborah Dee Simmons
dsimmons@remc8.k12.mi.us
Send Deborah an email and let her know what you thought about her story!
Copyright © 2000 by Deborah Dee Simmons, All Rights Reserved
A little bit about Deborah:
My husband, John, and I, reside in Ionia, Michigan--a small community situated
midway between Grand Rapids and Lansing--right in the middle of the "palm" of
Michigan. For the past twenty years, I've worked as the Secretary to the
Superintendent of Ionia Public Schools by day, and donned my writer's
garb in the evenings and on weekends. Currently (in addition to my
full-time job), I write a human interest column for our local newspaper
(the "Sentinel-Standard"), have completed a series of children's
books (queries abound, but none have "bounded" back as yet), and
much of my poetry has been published. I also have numerous projects
in the works. These include a second children's series (this one
historical) and a young adult fiction book, as well as the "lessons"
articles, which I hope to compile into a book entitled "I Took Me
*This* Long?" (to learn these lessons.....?)
I delight in writing on a variety of themes--some humorous, some
thought-provoking. My faith in God has kept me afloat during many a
depressing day and I find Him, thankfully, in my life at every turn.
Hopefully, I will be blessed with the opportunity (and the energy) to
write for many years to come.
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Thought For The Day:
"The superior person stands erect by bending above the fallen. You
rise by lifting others."
Verse for the Day:
"And we urge you, brethren, admonish the unruly, encourage the
fainthearted, help the weak, be patient with all men."
1 Thessalonians 5:14
Kid's Thought for the day:
"You can't always be first."
Parent's Thought For The Day
"Children are God's apostles, day by day sent forth to preach of
love and hope and peace."
Coach's Thought For The Day
"Hustle is: doing something that everybody is absolutely certain
cannot be done. Earning a position because you learned it first, or
stayed with it when everyone else gave up. Getting other players to
say yes when they have already said no. The sheer joy of winning.
Heaven if you are a hustler, torture if you're not."
Deep Thought For The Day:
"When someone annoys you, it takes 42 muscles to frown, but only 4
muscles to extend your arm and whack them upside the head."
_
/_/\/\ MICHAEL T. POWERS
\_\ / THUNDER27@aol.com http://members.aol.com/Thunder27/index.html
/_/ \ "For I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but
\_\/\ \ Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body I live for the Son
\_\/ of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me." Galatians 2:20
Video Imagery (Michael's Video Production Business)
"I thought of you first after my family sat down to watch the video
we gave them. They loved it, to say the least! Within thirty
seconds my mom was crying and my dad did too. They said it was
the best Christmas gift we could have given them!! You did such
a beautiful job! They were so suprised and so touched---they
really, really, really loved it. Thanks for helping to make it so
special to us all. My mom mentioned how the songs were perfect for
the video too! Thanks again!"
Kelli (RKaGe@aol.com) College Station, TX
Let me make you a video from your pictures or home movies!
Check out the web page for Michael's video production business!
Video Imagery
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