_________________________________________
{Straight From the Heart} *Timeless Treasure* 7/19/00
_________________________________________
Welcome to "Straight From the Heart!"
If you enjoy this free daily email service, I encourage you to
forward it on to family and friends. If this has been passed along
to you and you want to join the list, just send a blank email to: Thunder27@aol.com
I appreciate any feedback or constructive criticism, so feel free
to write me (Michael T. Powers) and let me know what you think!
The copyrights to the stories that appear here are owned by the
authors and are used with their permission. This email may be
forwarded in its entirety, but please do not cut and paste the
stories to be used elsewhere unless you have contacted, and been
given permission, by the individual writer.
Thanks!
__________________________________________
Timeless Treasure
By: Kim Koluch
kkoluch@buckeye-express.com
The old grandfather clock stood in the corner of our dining room for
almost as long as I can remember. Dark pecan wood, polished to
perfection, made a beautiful backdrop for its intricate details. On
its face were the words, "Tempus Fugit", which constantly reminded us
that time never stops. The clock's steady tick-tock echoed quietly
throughout our house. In my heart, I still hear it chiming through
the events of my life.
The first time I saw the clock was a beautiful summer day when I was
eight years old. A light, warm breeze carried the scent of our
freshly cut lawn as our friends and relatives arrived. I was "Daddy's
Special Helper" for my mother's birthday party.
I remember the fun of being trusted with the secret of Mommy's
surprise. Aunts, uncles, and cousins kept Mom distracted in the
backyard. I kept watch at the back door as Dad brought her special
present into the house. I still feel the excitement of singing
"Happy Birthday!" as we led her into the house. She squealed with
delight! There stood the beautiful, shiny clock that she had always
wanted. I soon grew to associate it with everything that home and
family mean to me.
Our home was full of love and acceptance. I knew that no matter how
much I failed, my family would always love me. We did not have a
spotlessly clean house. In fact, there seemed to be no end to the
clutter. We had our rules and expectations, but love was always
freely given -- much like the steady rhythm of the old clock.
The clock ticked and chimed on through my childhood as if to celebrate
each joy and comfort each sorrow. I remember hearing its soothing song
on days home from school with the flu. I would snuggle in blankets as
I drifted in and out of sleep. The only other noise in the house was
the sound of Mom going about her daily chores.
Often, I depended on its fifteen-minute reminders as I scurried
around getting ready for the day's activities. On very cold mornings,
I wrapped up in a warm robe and sat in front of a nearby furnace vent.
Lingering in the warmth, I'd wait until the last possible stroke of
the clock to dress for school.
There was a Saturday morning tradition in our home. From the time I
was little, Dad and I would sit at the kitchen table and talk.
Sometimes we just drank coffee and chatted about nothing. Other times
we talked about more serious things. Dad talked to me about world
events. We talked about civil rights and Vietnam. I learned about
being grateful for our country's freedom from his stories of World War
II.
It was a sultry, hot night in July as I climbed into bed one last time
under my parents' roof. Wedding jitters -- that's what most people
call it. Would I be a good wife? What would it be like to leave the
only home I'd ever known? I relived some of the moments that shaped
who I am: my first day of school; my baptism; my graduation. I
remember hearing the clock chime three o'clock just before I lost my
fight with sleep. It would also be the first sound I would hear later
that morning -- my wedding day.
A few years later my father passed away. Within a few days, the clock
stopped. My mother looked into the possibility of repairing it and was
told it could not be fixed. Still a beautiful and beloved piece of
furniture, it remained where it had always been. As time went by, my
mother remarried and moved to an apartment. Always, she kept with her
the treasured, but silent clock. There were several attempts to fix
it, but none of them would restore its beautiful chime.
On February 8, 1995, my mother went home to be with the Lord. After
the initial grief and pain, I managed to find the strength to move
some of my mother's furniture into my own home. I longed for memories
of my childhood. Losing both parents left me missing a very large
piece of my life.
One beautiful April afternoon, the Lord gave me a wonderful reminder
of something that I will always hold -- my parents' love for me. As we
placed the clock in the corner of my own dining room, I heard one of
the most beautiful sounds in the world. The clock, silent for over
twelve years, began to chime! On that day, through an old broken
clock, the Lord reminded me of the enduring nature of love. Just like
time, it never stops...even through death.
"And now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of
these is love."
I Corinthians 13:13 (NKJV)
© 2000 Kim Koluch
kkoluch@buckeye-express.com
Send Kim an email and let her know what you thought of her story!
*********
About the author:
Kim is a freelance writer and photojournalist who lives with her
family in Toledo, Ohio. She is a homeschooling mother to two wonderful
teenagers and considers motherhood to be her most important job.
You can read more of her wonderful stories at the following website:
Author Kim Koluch
http://www.themestream.com/gspd_browse/author/view_author_info.gsp?auth_id=20525
___________________________________________________
REQUEST:
From: PUGMOM37@aol.com (Lynne)
Hi Mr.Powers :),
Could you please add my best friend Ruthie Jackson and her four
sisters Betty Carol, Loretta, Abigail, and Mary Anne to your Prayer
List? Ruthie has spent the last ten years of her life taking care of
their bedridden mother. On Friday morning of last week, their mother
passed away after a long and difficult battle with cancer.
My son called their mother "Grandma" and even was a pall bearer
at her funeral on Sunday afternoon. Mrs. Mamie Ruth Jackson became
my "second mother" after my own mother passed away three years ago.
She told me all the time that she could not love Michael, my son, any
more than if he had been her very own grandchild. And she told me all
the time that I was her "red-headed child that her husband didn't know
about." All of her "biological children" had black hair and dark eyes.
Mr. Jackson, her husband, passed away over twenty years ago, and
sadly I never had the opportunity to meet him.
Even though her doctors informed the girls that their mother was
terminal over a year ago, they are still having a hard time accepting
the fact that their mother has passed away. I am especially worried
about how Ruthie is going to go on with her life. She and her family
need all the love and support they can get right now.
Thank you very much for your time,
Lynne
___________________________________________________
Thought For The Day:
"Our faith should be our steering wheel, not our spare tire."
(C.L. Wheeler)
Verse for the Day:
"...but the righteous will live by his faith."
Habakkuk 2:4
Kid's Thought For The Day:
"Just do your best."
Parent's Thought For The Day
"When I was a boy of fourteen, my father was so ignorant I could
hardly stand to have the old man around. But when I got to twenty-one,
I was astonished at how much he had learned in seven years."
(Mark Twain)
Coach's Thought For The Day
"Losers assemble in little groups to whine and complain about the
coaches and the guys in other little groups. Winners assemble as a
team."
Deep Thought For The Day:
"If my computer performs one more illegal operation, I'm
going to report it to the authorities."
_
/_/\/\ 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
http://members.aol.com/Videoimg/index.html