Reflections - Lennette

A dear friend shared this essay she rediscovered when she went through some old file.  Her high school teacher had asked her to write an essay and Lennette had no idea what topic to write about.  She chose something that seemed simple, and found something very profound.

Thank you Lennette!

a COOL Idea! One appliance that speaks volumes!

I love our refrigerators.  All of my friends have something posted on their beloved refrigerator whether it is magnetic or taped or gummed on.

I am going to start this as a new REAL form of expressing our interests, our behaviors, our calendars, our celebrations and loves.   Here is my first one... that has been on my fridges for the last 15 or so years. Truly worn ,but loved.  It has moved from Austin Texas to Modesto, Tulare and now Shell Beach California.  Here ya go! Please send your faves if you have one! email to shelley@marthamartha.net or REAL' s Facebook page! Have fun!

Happy Valentines Day to Everyone!

-Diane_

“Pistol was for sale,” she says, speaking of the beautiful sorrel gelding in the pasture, “He was being sold for dog food, and Rosie needed a stable mate.”  Certainly, Diane had been one of those children who would come home with stray cats or dogs and beg, “Please, can I keep him?”  She has a big heart for the rejected and has a home and acreage to match.  Since the abused Pistol has found his home, he has gained a deep trust for Diane and is becoming more at ease with strangers.  He and Rosie, the mare, find comfort in each other and in the safety of the healing environment that Diane and her husband, Ed, have created for them. 

It was rewarding to discover that Diane’s knowledge and expertise as a physical therapist would be able to help Pistol.  Diane would regularly and gently treat his ailing body and lame leg with massage and therapeutic tools.  He began to respond with gradual healing, and affection toward Diane.  Over time his body actually expelled a large splinter of wood about the size of a pencil from his leg.  His lameness was cured and in time the wounds in his soul would heal.

Most of Diane’s patients are people.  They arrive with their stressed and tight muscles, stiff joints, and the accumulation of worry and injury.  She is a patient healer, a good listener—gentle, strong, and tenacious.  Her sense of humor makes the work lighter, but as an advocate of balance and health, her wisdom is unshakeable.  Her long, wavy, graying hair is pulled easily back into a ponytail and her skin is warmly tanned from the outdoors.  She exudes a natural beauty that tempers any clinical tone in her medical art. 

Although she loves her human clients, horses and dogs have been Diane’s passion for decades.  As she takes Pistol for a morning ride on the beach, she absorbs his gift to her . . . his affection, energy, and spirit. This horse, once considered dog food, became a treasured friend . . . restored and renewed with the touch of her hand.

A MOTHER'S LOVE - PAM

Featuring  MORE Stories about LOVE in the Month of LOVE-

Mothers wear many hats, and Pam has confidence and experience in every role.  She is

on the high seas of parenting four school age children.  Her tote bag is equipped with band aids,lip gloss, sunscreen, granola bars, paper and pens, hair bands, hand wipes, and just about anything that a bustling family may need.  Her SUV has a supply of water bottles and snacks. It is apparent that her days revolve around her calendar and lists.

Pam is in the driver’s seat multiple times daily, juggling pick-up and drop-off schedules

to schools, dance practice, orthodontist appointments, and farmers’ markets.  She has periods of

“curbside” waiting that allow her to read her book, catch up on her calendar, or nap.

Weekends are frequently filled with sports or dance competitions out of town. That is the time to pack the food, gear, and finally the kids.  These are chaotic times, but the trips are fun, and time passes quickly.  With all eight seats filled, kids chat away at high speed and volume. As the food and drinks are passed around, the rising noise level doesn’t faze Pam.  She loves the energy and silliness in the back seats as long as they are all safe and buckled up. “It will all happen too quickly,” she says, as she thinks about them growing up and becoming independent.

As she loads up the kids and sees that they are all settled with seatbelts fastened, she

checks her list and mirrors. She thinks about stretching one more time before taking her place in the driver’s seat and turns the key.  Her hands are at the helm, steering the pack to the next activity.  With a spirit of love and gratitude for her dear cargo, a sense of privilege and grace, Pam embraces these precious moments that leave fingerprints on the SUV’s windows and fingerprints on her heart.

    

Calling for LOVE The Month of LOVE...

EXCERPTS FROM REAL: LOVE CHAPTER..

Woody and Kay-

It was a surprise romance . . .

Woody had just lost his beloved wife of six decades to a chronic illness.  His love was so great and enduring that as wise and faithful as he was, it was the hardest thing he’d ever done, continue on without his Marguerite.

Along came Kay.  

Woody and Kay had been childhood friends from age three through elementary school, but it had been decades since they had seen each other. They both were happy to have remarkable memories from over 80 years earlier.  They remembered making mud pies and catching bugs, neighborhood games and beginnings of school. They remembered the wide-eyed excitement of making perfume in jelly jars with water and rose petals.  When they met again they were both widowed and welcomed this spark of love and comfort.

It was only weeks after this reunion that they decided to get married. Woody was seeing the world again in a joyous light. He was happy and hopeful, respectful of his love for his Marguerite, but in love with a friend who loved him back. At first it was sudden and difficult for family members to accept, thinking it would take longer to let go of Marguerite. Nothing they said would change his mind. He married Kay within just a few months.  Kay was a new bride again, and the details of planning the wedding and reception were going to be delightful. 

One detail she did not have to tend to was the reception centerpiece design.  Woody guaranteed he would provide something appropriate and it was to be a secret.  After the ceremony, the newlyweds were presented in the reception hall and on each table, Kay saw Woody’s surprise.   

Each center was their perfume . . . a jelly jar filled with water and rose petals.