Paid In Full





	WRITE 2 THE HEART Stories that are aimed "Write 2 the Heart" January 9, 2003 Cheryl Speir, Editor, moderator@write2theheart.com ----------------------------------------------------------- Welcome to your latest issue of "Write 2 the Heart" You are receiving this free newsletter because you requested a subscription or a friend generously forwarded their copy to you. To subscribe send a blank e-mail to subscribe@write2theheart.com. ------------------------------------------------------------ ------------------------------------------------------------ We have always hard that it is better to build bridges than fences. Maria did just that; she built a bridge of family relationship instead of the much needed wooden fence. ------------------------------------------------------------ ------------------------------------------------------------ Paid In Full By Maria Harden ------------------------------------------------------------- Our fence was falling down. Originally a strong, wooden fence, painted white, it now showed its age and was clearly beyond repair. The slats were rotting and falling away from the dilapidated posts. We needed to replace the fence, and soon, before someone was hurt by falling boards or loose nails. After several estimates, we found that the cost of a new fence was much higher than we had realized. Even though we needed it badly, we were hesitant to spend the money. It seemed so expensive, just for a fence. We racked our brains trying to think of a way to cut the cost. Building it ourselves was out of the question. Neither my husband nor I were the handy-person type. We barely knew which end of the hammer to use. Past experiences with home renovation had made us realize we were better leaving the fence building to those who knew what they were doing. Time passed, and we did nothing about the fence. The year's intense winter contributed even more to its forlorn appearance. Perhaps in the spring we would revisit the situation and try again to come up with a solution. Meanwhile, our son, Jack, had just purchased his first home. The offer to purchase required an initial goodwill payment of $1,000, which would later be applied to the house purchase. As he did not have the $1,000 readily available, we lent it to him on the assumption he would pay us back with his tax refund. He knew the $1,000 was from our fence fund, and was anxious to repay us. When his tax refund arrived, Jack and our daughter-in-law Sherry, came over, cheque in hand. I graciously thanked them, and told them how much I appreciated that they were paying us back. Then I told them that I would rather they use the money to purchase something for their new home. With a feeling of complete satisfaction, I ripped the cheque into tiny pieces, put them in Jack's hand and said with a smile, "Paid in full!" The look of disbelief on their faces was worth every dollar. "Mom, are you sure?" Jack asked, eyes wide. "This is so awesome!" Sherry said emotionally, giving me a big hug, "but what about your fence?" I assured them that yes, I was very sure, and that the fence would get built when the time was right. Somehow, it no longer seemed as important as it once did, because building a relationship with my family is far more important than building a fence. That is all the payment I need. Maria Harden © 2002 mharden @ escape.ca (You are encouraged to write to the authors to let them know what you think of their story, just remember to remove the space before and after the @ symbol. The space is placed in the address to protect our writers from viruses and email harvesting programs. Have a comment on today's story? Send it to: moderator@write2theheart.com) ---------------------------------------------------------------- Maria is a doting grandma, frustrated pianist, "wanna be" writer, and the maker of the best lasagna in Manitoba. She has a few stories in the archives and can be reached at mharden@escape.ca You can read more about Maria on the Writer's Profile page on Write 2 the Hearts web site, www.write2theheart.com -------------------------------------------------------------- -------------------------------------------------------------- Letters From Our Readers -------------------------------------------------------------- Both Annette with "Lost In the Crowd" and Steve with "Be There" should be commended for having written truly inspiring messages: not only for having written them to our benefit but for having penned them well. We all can never be reminded enough about keeping our focus on our awesome Lord and Saviour. Bonita M Quesinberry, author of "TODAY, JESUS SAID" unicornhaven @ earthlink.net http://www.geocities.com/pen_for_god --------------------------------------------------------------- Cheryl's Corner I have one word for my youngest son, PRE-REGISTER! We spent all day yesterday in lines at our community college. Each line had an hour wait. All because someone forgot to enter his payment for last semester in the computer. By the time we headed for home my stomach was grumbling. I'm afraid I do not make wise food choices when my stomach is speaking louder than I can think. I stopped at the deli and bought roast beef and French bread for po'boys. Hot French bread will stop those tummy noises every time! God Bless, Cheryl ----------------------------------------------------------------- ----------------------------------------------------------------- © 2002 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.