Pillow Peace




	WRITE 2 THE HEART Stories that are aimed "Write 2 the Heart" December 26, 2002 Cheryl Speir, Editor, moderator@write2theheart.com ----------------------------------------------------------- Welcome to your latest issue of "Write 2 the Heart" ------------------------------------------------------------ ------------------------------------------------------------ There are some Christmas ornaments that shouldn't be displayed just once a year. With careful reflection on the message, Alison decided to display one of hers all year. ------------------------------------------------------------ ------------------------------------------------------------ Pillow Of Peace By Alison Peters ------------------------------------------------------------- The long bands of glittering garland are unwound from the tree and dropped unceremoniously into a rather battered cardboard box. A seemingly endless parade of sparkling silver and purple ornaments of various shapes and sizes are set carefully into slightly less unsightly containers also of cardboard decor. Our tree this year sports only silver and purple, as chosen by daughter Danielle. (I had no idea our assorted collection contained so many of those two colors!) At 17, she has very definite decorating ideas of her own, but I must admit her selections proved truly admirable. No matter how pretty and no matter how loyal we are to Christmas's true meaning, no matter how much we enjoy the season, all visible signs of this special time will be out of sight for very nearly a whole year. For me, it seems vaguely sad to "pack up Christmas" and I need to remind myself of the wonderfully refreshing aspect of January 1st: fresh starts, new beginnings, hope and prayers for improvements in countless ways in countless lives. Hope and optimism rise up and take a bow. I admit sometimes they crash and burn. But sometimes they don't. I welcome the with open arms and send up my resolution-prayers with a happy heart. Standing on a chair, I lift one end of the crocheted chain of red yarn from near the ceiling, careful not to bend the rather flimsy poster board letters it holds. There are 18 letters, each approximately 6 inches high and decorated with a plethora of fun, bright felt-pen color. Circles, stripes, squares, squiggly lines splash across the cut-out letters with no rhyme or reason in random patterns. It is not what one would consider gorgeous. And it requires replacement every couple of years, as poster board is not among the hardiest of materials. It costs mere pennies to create. But it is my favorite. (It goes right along with the other most important tradition: Reading the Christmas story in Luke 2 first thing on Christmas morning.) In scallops, it adorns a most conspicuous spot, running the length of the room near the ceiling and proclaims: "HAPPY BIRTHDAY JESUS." This banner, too, is removed and stored. Some of my daughter's and my gifts still sit under the tree, though now unwrapped, their secrets revealed. Even without their wrappings, they look festive in their proud display at the tree's base. On it's colorful box, Danielle's "Dispenser" for her various shampoos and conditioners boasts: "Clear Choice....Fits neatly in the CORNER or on the wall!.... lifetime pump warranty....." with, of course, appropriate Spanish translation accompanying. There are my pretty coffee mugs to add to my collection, artistically sporting cherubs or Santa or candles.... Odds and ends of Christmas wait there, destined to various futures. The snoring Santa on his miniature bed atop his little crocheted red rug is stuck back into his box, to sleep now for almost a year without his snore. As I lift the beautiful couch blanket Danielle gave me, I hold it out in front of me, and read once again its Christmassy message: "For unto you is born this day in the city of David, a Savior, which is Christ the Lord. Luke 2:11." I fold it neatly, this burgundy and beige new treasure of mine, and tuck it away. But then there's the throw-pillow, another gift from my daughter. Its colors are not what would be considered "Christmas" colors. No reds, greens, whites. Slightly muted mauve, blue and beige, it has woven across its face the head of a lion and beside him, a lamb. Together, they gaze upward into a starry sky background, that features one exceptionally bright star. In script beside this unlikely pair, are the words: "Let there be peace." I think of the events of September 11th...just a few months ago.... the new meaning and painful understanding the word "Peace" now holds for us as Americans.... the countless prayers sent up, around the world, literally crying out for it. The prophecy, the promise, of the lion and lamb together. Peace. I think of Jesus' words: "My peace I give to you...Not as the world gives give I unto you..." And Israel's cry of "'peace, peace', when there is no peace...." "....'Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.'" For each and every Christian around the world, He gives an awesome promise.....We have read the end of the book, so we know the outcome. The promise of perfect peace....from the Prince of Peace Himself. The pillow isn't going to be tossed into a box or tucked away in my closet. Its message could never be strictly confined to the Christmas season. "Let there be peace on earth, and let it begin with me." The pillow stays. Alison Peters Sweetpetes3 @ cs.com (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) ---------------------------------------------------------------- Alison has a story in "Stories for the Teen's Heart" book 2, one in "Chicken Soup for the Grandparent's Soul" and 2 in the upcoming "Don't Sweat Stories". -------------------------------------------------------------- Letters From Our Readers -------------------------------------------------------------- Diane, I love your story. Memories like yours are treasures. My childhood Christmas memories are vivid, and a joy at the age of 71. As far as snow memories, there aren't many because I lived in Seattle, where we seldom had any white fluff on the ground. I don't ever remember a "White Christmas". However I do remember when I was around eight years old, my dad woke my two older brothers and me from sound sleep early one morning to tell us it had snowed during the night. What excitement. We all got dressed in warm layers of clothing to go out sledding down our long sloping front lawn. I have a picture of that wonderful experience tucked away in an album. We are grinning from ear to ear. The other memory is of the Seattle area's BIG Snow of '49. It was such fun, because school was canceled. My two best girlfriends and I had a great time playing in the white stuff. I laugh when I look at pictures of our silliness. I have a nice picture of our snow covered house. I think the entire city was crippled by the heavy snow. In 1951, shortly after I was married, my husband and I moved to North Central Washington (the state). We found out what it was like to have snow every winter, usually from after Halloween through February. Not so much fun for me when it was on the ground for so long. We had exchanged rain for snow. Pat L ----------------------------------------------------------------- ----------------------------------------------------------------- © 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. --------------------------------------------------------------- All subscriptions sent to your e-mail free of charge.