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{Straight From the Heart}   *I'll Walk You Home*  7/10/00
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Welcome to "Straight From the Heart!"

If you enjoy this free daily email service, I encourage you to 
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I appreciate any feedback or constructive criticism, so feel free 
to write me (Michael T. Powers) and let me know what you think!

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I have not heard from Donna yet, as to how little Zachary is doing.  
When I find out I will let everyone know.  For those of you who wrote 
and wanted to know Zachary's situation:  Zachary is the daughter of 
Jessica Beals, a former basketball player of mine.  Donna Beals is the 
grandmother.  Little Zachary is about 6 months old and was born with a 
number of medical problems.  He has had many surgeries already, but 
has been beating the odds as he fights for his life.  Donna let me 
know though, that things took a turn for the worst, this past weekend..
Again as soon as I find out, I will let everyone know...
Michael


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I'll Walk You Home


By Pamela R. Blaine
Pamyblaine@aol.com


She was my very first friend and her name was Suzanne.  I called her 
"Suzy" and she called me "Pamy". We were two little girls spending 
our summer afternoons playing in the sunshine.  We were also third 
cousins, born only three months apart.  Our mothers sat us on a 
blanket together as babies and neither of us could remember life 
without the other.

Suzy lived on one side of our small town and I lived on the other 
which worked out to be about 7 blocks apart.  We loved to spend time 
together and we would hurry to get our chores done and if it was 
Suzy's turn to come to my house, she would ask her mother, "May I 
go to Pamy's house?"  If permission was granted, the next question 
was, "How many hours can I stay?"   Three hours was usually the most 
we would get and to children that was a lot of time for laughter and 
make believe.

On sunny days we would climb trees, dress up our kittens in doll 
clothes, and have picnics complete with mud pies decorated with 
dandelions.  On rainy days we would climb up in the hayloft and 
pretend to be in a ship on the ocean.  My brother had rigged up 
an old rusty wheel he had made to steer the ship just like we saw 
in the pirate movies.  Our ship was complete with corncob bomb 
rigging.  Other times we would sing and play songs on the piano or 
get Suzy's sister, Linda, to play "Here Comes the Bride" and we would 
take turns being the bride with an old lace tablecloth.   Most of all 
I remember sharing secrets and all the giggling.

When we were told that our visiting time was over, the one being 
visited would walk the other home.  I can still hear Suzy say, "Wait 
and I'll ask mother if I can walk you home."   We had agreed on the 
halfway mark between her house and mine, which was St. Aloysius Church,
but almost always we would be chattering away and she would end up 
walking me all the way home.  I wouldn't want her to have to walk all 
the way back to her house alone so we would do it again, and only go 
as far as the church this time.

As we grew up, we did everything together.  We got our first high 
heels together, wore our first lipstick together, and went to church 
and school together.  When we dated, we usually doubled.  If one of 
us didn't have a date, the other would try to find one for her.

As the years went by, one day the inevitable happened.  Suzy was the 
first to get married and  I was her maid of honor.  It was like the 
end of an era, and afterward I went home and cried and sobbed for 
three hours.  Somehow I knew, deep within my heart, that things would 
change-and they did.

Within a year, I was also married and we no longer lived close to each 
other.  We kept in contact over the years through letters that became 
less frequent as children came into the picture and the busyness of 
life took up more time.  I visited her several times and we would 
laugh and have a wonderful time.  She kept her home beautifully 
decorated because she was a very creative person.  I often teased her 
that she could do anything with contact paper.   

Years went by and my mother became ill and within weeks she died.  
I was at the funeral home the evening before the funeral when Suzanne
came walking in and took my hand just like when we were kids...holding 
hands with your fingers intertwining.  She hugged me and let me cry 
and then began to lighten the moment by pointing out my blonde 
ringlets on the family picture gallery there in the funeral home.  
I went from tears to laughter since I didn't know the picture was 
there and swore to "find out"  who put it there.

It meant a lot to me that Suzy was "there" for me.  I knew that she 
had only recently lost her sister to cancer, the same sister who 
played the wedding march for us when we pretended to be brides.  

The next time I saw Suzy was at our high school alumni party.  We hung 
out together and had a wonderful time.  We discovered that we both had 
computers and email.  Thus began a whole new way of communicating 
again.  We'd send email back and forth and I'd keep every word she sent me.

It was October, and I lived three states away when I got the email 
from Suzy.  She said the back pain and problem she'd been having was 
bad news.  I scanned down the email quickly and that stab of pain 
struck my heart as I saw the word "cancer".  My mind reeled as I 
wanted to scream, "No", "Not Suzy!"

The next few weeks and months were a series of doctor visits, 
hospital stays, and chemotherapy.  We talked on the phone and her 
concern was never for herself but for others and especially her two 
daughters.  She told me, "Take care of yourself, Pamy"  "Go see your 
doctor and make sure you are healthy."   As Suzy got weaker, the 
emails dwindled as she wasn't able to sit for long.  I would call her 
on the phone and she told me she was going home, there was nothing 
more they could do for her at the hospital and they told her she 
didn't have very much time.  The last time I talked to Suzy was on 
Easter Sunday and she was too weak to say much but we said the 
important things.  We told each other  "I love you" one last time.

I like to think that Suzanne, who was always concerned about others, 
is up in heaven helping  Jesus get our mansions ready for the rest of 
us.   I don't think she'll need contact paper this time.

Before Suzy died, I wrote a song for her that she liked.  It was about 
us growing up together.  I called it "I'll Walk You Home".   I sang it 
one last time for her at her funeral and this time...Jesus walked her 
home.


This is the song that I had written for Suzy"

"I'll Walk You Home"

 (1.) Can you come to my house?
How many hours can you play?
Did you ask your mother?
These are the words we'd always say.
You can play with  Mary Ellen
She's your favorite doll, I know
We'll climb up in the hayloft
And play house before you go

(chorus) Then I'll walk you home
So you don't have to walk alone.
I wish this time would never end
You know you'll always be my friend
Yes, I'll walk you home today
And I'll walk you all the way
Kindred spirits from the start
We're joined at the heart
Come, I'll walk you home.

(2.) Growing up together
Little girls just having fun
Mother earth in a mixing bowl
Baking cookies in the sun
Clover garlands for our hair
We sing every song we know
Ask Linda to play the wedding march
And we'll pretend before you go.

 (chorus)

(3.) When our life is over
And our work on earth is done,
Then we'll trade that garland for a crown
For the Victory is Won!
We'll take the hand of Jesus
Crossing to the other side
There will be no more pretending
As He says, "Children, you are my My bride."

(chorus) And I'll walk you home
So you don't have to walk alone
Now this time will never end
You know you'll always be my friend
Yes, I'll walk you home today
And I'll walk you all the way
Kindred Spirits from the start
We're joined at the heart
Come, I'll walk you home

c Pamela R. Blaine
November 1997
You can hear the song on my Webpage: 
http://members.aol.com/mblaine/pamy/PamyPlace.html

Just go to the end of the story and click on the link to the page 
with the song.

By Pamela R. Blaine      c April 28, 2000
Pamyblaine@aol.com

Send Pamela an email and let her know what you thought of her story!

"I'll Walk You Home" is very special to me because it is a true story 
of my childhood and a very special friendship.  It was written with 
tears and love straight from my heart.  I hope it will bring back some
memories for you and also reminds you to be making wonderful memories 
with your children and grandchildren.
I've been married to Michael for 33 years and we have 4 children and 
3 grandchildren.   We live in West Virginia and part time in Missouri.
I like to write stories and poems but I especially like writing songs.
I have loved music and writing ever since I can remember.   You can see
some things I have written on my webpage:
http://members.aol.com/mblaine/pamy/PamyPlace.html                     

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Thought For The Day:

"He who provides for this life, but takes no care for eternity, is 
wise for a moment, but a fool forever."
(Tillotson)

Verse for the Day:

"What is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose 
his own soul?  Or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?"
J

Kid's Thought For The Day:

"It's a lot harder to laugh when you're by yourself."

Parent's Thought For The Day

"When I was a girl I only had two friends, and they were imaginary. 
And they would only play with each other."
(Rita Rudner)

Coach's Thought For The Day

"It is far more important that a man shall play something himself, 
even if he plays it badly, that that he shall go with hundreds of 
companions to see someone else play well."
(Theodore Roosevelt)

Deep Thought For The Day:

Sometimes when people sing ‘Take Me Out To The Ballgame’ I feel like
yelling "Hey you big old ball of goof, you're already here!"




  _
/_/\/\    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