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Write 2 The Heart
May 3, 2005
Welcome to your latest issue of Write 2 the Heart.
Have you visited our new bookstore? It’s located at
http://www.write2theheart.com/html/book_store.html
You will find wonderful books written by, or that include stories
by many of our talented writers. You will also find books that aide
the budding writer. I highly recommend “Sally Stuart’s Christian
Writers’ Guide,” and “2005 Writer’s Market.” Both are must haves
for all serious writers. They are great tools to find that perfect
market for your writing.
Jonathan is indeed a hero. Not only because of the
circumstances of birth that he has worked hard to overcome, but
for the heart that says, I will pray for those who choose to
misunderstand me.
The Hero
By Debbie Roppolo
“Hey Mom, did you know that you’re beautiful?” asked my
eleven-year-old son, Jonathan, as we were driving down the road a
few months ago.
“Hmmm.” I mumbled absently. We had just had a rainstorm
that morning, and the roads were still hazardous. I was focusing
entirely on keeping our truck on the slippery roads. I really had not
wanted to go out that day, but the fact that our cupboards were as
bare as Old Mother Hubbard’s, prompted me and my grumbling
children to brave the elements and venture out to the store.
“Hey mom, know what else?”
“What?” I asked somewhat impatiently. The sky had begun to
darken again with saturated rain clouds, and I feared that I would
not make it home before the next round of thunderstorms hit.
“You’re my hero.” It was Jonathan’s practice to bestow
compliments on me when he wanted something, especially when
we were going to the store. I glanced at Jonathan quickly before
turning my attention back to the road. His blue eyes, which usually
had a glint of mischief in them, were somber.
“How sweet.” I said automatically. My mind swirling with the
errands that I needed to accomplish that day, I filed that sweet and
heartfelt remark into the back of my mind, never thinking of it
again until today.
Today, at the regional 4H speaking competition, I watched
Jonathan in action. Jonathan, dressed in a freshly pressed, karate
uniform, stood in front of the room, and in a clear, unwavering
voice, instructed a room full of strangers on the benefits of karate.
As he spoke, I was amazed at the confidence that he possessed. I
couldn’t believe how far he had come, how he had beaten the odds.
Jonathan had a rough start in life. Because of a complicated
delivery, he was diagnosed with a seizure disorder, and later with a
speech and learning delay. Unfortunately, throughout his entire
school career, Jonathan’s delays have often caused his classmates
to make fun of and ignore him. With the help of the speech
programs at his school, and the practice that he received at home,
Jonathan’s speech has improved. There are still those, however,
that choose to ignore and isolate him.
There have been days that my poor child has come home in
tears over something that a thoughtless classmate has said or done.
The icing on the cake was when Jonathan came home once and
informed me that a classmate had been told by his mother that he
was not to associate with Jonathan any longer. What was her
reason? She told her son that Jonathan was “different,” and that if
her son was friends with Jonathan, that Jonathan would “only bring
him down.”
“Who the heck does she think she is? I want her name!” I raged.
I had visions of grabbing this unknown woman by the hair and
slamming her on the ground. My violent thoughts were interrupted
by the cool logic of my child.
“Mama, you can’t fight my battles for me.” Jonathan reasoned.
“Besides, that woman is just being ignorant. We need to pray for
her.”
“When did you get so smart?” I mumbled to myself ruefully as
Jonathan walked into his room to play his beloved video games.
The sound of applause brought me back to the present. Jonathan
had finished an almost flawless presentation. Later, my heart
swelled with pride, as Jonathan raced towards our truck, his third
place ribbon clutched in his hand.
Tonight, as I tucked Jonathan into bed, I saw the beloved white
ribbon clutched in his hand. There was a smile of pure happiness
on his lips as he slept. Tenderly, I kissed him on the cheek, and
gently removed the ribbon from his sweaty grasp. I tacked the
newly won prize on Jonathan’s bulletin board. I stood in the
doorway a moment and gazed at my slumbering son. He was
growing from a chubby faced boy to a handsome young man
before my eyes it seemed. I thought again of the day that he told
me that I was his hero.
On tiptoe, I crossed the room and gave him a final kiss on the
cheek. With tears running down my face, I whispered, “No
Jonathan, you’re my hero.”
Debbie Roppolo
roppolo4 @ yahoo.com
http://drinkingtea.tripod.com
http://drinkingtea.tripod.com/onthefrontporch
I was born in 1970 in the small town of Rosebud, Texas. One
of the claims to fame that this tiny town had was that, at one time,
there was a rosebush in every yard. My town was listed “Ripley's
Believe It or Not” because of this.
I got into law enforcement in 1991, where I met my future
hubby, John. We've been together fourteen years, and have two
boys, one who is 11, and the other who is 2 1/2. After a few years
of being shot at and stabbed, I left law enforcement and pursued a
degree in Anthropology at St. Edward's University in Austin, TX.
Throughout all the trying times in my life, writing has been a
comfort for me. Ever since I can remember I have loved to write. It
has, in a sense, allowed me to "escape" from the stress that was on
me.
Debbie has a story in the book “Laughing and Learning:
Adventures in Parenting” and a story in the upcoming “Chicken
Soup for the Dog Lover's Soul,” to be released later this year.
Did you enjoy today’s story? Send the writer an email to let
them know. Have a comment on today's story? Send it to:
moderator @ write2theheart.com
Write 2 the Heart now has an affiliate program with Cognigen.
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Military Prayer Reminder
As you read over this list of names, please take a moment to
pray for these young people and their families:
Tim Speir
Alan
Todd Holland
Graham
William
Julie Sagel
Jessie
Marshal Thompson
Jason
Eric Hernandez
Kristin Danielson
Ryan
Larry Miele
Daniel
Amy
John
Joanne
Gary Boardwine
Hadassah
Chanz Wackerly
Robert Henderson
David Habighurst
Tonia
Melissa Bair
Matthew Nutter
Nick Nation
Seth Jarrell
Matt Hall
Donald Wayne West
Frank Schambach, Jr.
Please continue to pray for our country, our leaders, and
our troops at this time. If you have loved ones in the military,
or who are being called to go overseas, send their names
(first and last or first only) to be included in our prayer
reminder.
Cheryl’s Corner
Remember as a child watching with intense interest the
commercials that appeared on TV? It was the best way to keep
abreast of the new toys and snacks. After watching all Saturday
morning, you knew just what to ask for at Christmas and birthdays.
As a young adult, I quit watching them. A commercial was a
great excuse to take a break, run to check on sleeping babies or go
to the kitchen before the movie came back on. And about that time
premium channels were all the rage, and they made commercials a
thing of the past.
Now in my mid years, I’m watching commercials again. Some
have become very entertaining. I love the new M&M commercials,
maybe because my whole family loves Star Wars. It made me go
out and buy several packs with the new labels to send to Tim in
Iraq.
I find car commercials to be very confusing. What are they
selling? Ice mounds? Ocean floors? Scenic tours? After I watch
them, I find I don’t have a clue what the name of the car was or
even who the manufacture is. But I do have this overwhelming
desire to go out and buy a music album. Oops, I mean CD.
But the worst has to be the chemical company that doesn’t
make any of the products we buy. Then why waste money
advertising? Why do I need to know who they are? There has to be
a hidden message! Who are they sending coded messages to? If I
taped it and slowed it down, would I find a frame that says, ‘Buy
more plastic products’ buried within? Could this be the reason I
feel compelled to buy kitchen plastic wrap every time I go to the
grocery store even when I don’t need any? Am I a victim of a
subliminal message? Maybe it’s time to stop watching
commercials again.
God bless,
Cheryl
Copyright © 2005, Write 2 the Heart
Nothing may be reproduced or published without
the written permission of the individual author or
copyright owner. All rights belong to the authors.
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