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Straight From the Heart
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By Cheri Lee Funk

This story started almost 5 years ago.  I had just moved to Florida
and things had not been going real well.  My youngest daughter,
Angel had moved with us but my other daughter, Heather had
remained behind.  I loved Florida and its weather, yet my husband
hated everything about it.  This was probably one of the best times
of my life, yet one of the worse times as well.

It was close to Christmas and I was walking through the mall doing
some shopping.  As I came out of a store with no destination in mind,
I walked by a jewelry store.  I have always loved to look in the
windows at all the beautiful rings, necklaces, and earrings they use for
decorating the windows.  As I was gazing at the different pieces, a ring
caught my eye.  The ring was plain gold, but it had a sun, a moon and
a star on it. I stood there for a few moments as if under a spell.  Finally,
I was able to pull myself away, long enough to walk into the shop and
ask to see this ring.

When the salesperson handed me the ring, I knew immediately that I
had to have it.  I also knew that I needed to buy 2 more rings exactly
like it.  Upon seeing it, I thought of myself and my two daughters and
I wanted each of us to have this ring.  This ring represented to me our
three lives and how close I felt we were in spirit, even though great
distance now separated us.

The Sun was for my first daughter, Heather.  Heather had brought the
sunshine into my life when she was born almost 29 years ago.  I wanted
her more than I had wanted anything else in my life....a child that I could
love.  A child that I could be a mother to and love like I had never been
loved.  So Heather was represented by the Sun.

The Moon was for my other daughter, Angel.  Angel loves the night life,
loves to dance the night away.  She is seldom at her best during the day,
but at night, she lights up the night sky like a beacon.  You could find her
many a night sitting in one of her favorite hang-outs with her friends all
around singing the night away.  Angel was represented by the Moon.

The Star was me.  I longed for the time when I had stars in my eyes
and I knew the world was just waiting for me!  When I had dreams
of all kinds of wonderful things for my life.  I remembered many a
night as I was growing up, how I had looked out my bedroom window
and saw the stars light up the night sky...the stars would help make the
nights a little less scary.  Many a night I had made wishes on those stars
and I longed for the time when those wishes were to come true.  And
a lot of my wishes did come true, when both of my daughters were born.
So I bought those three rings.  I put one on my finger and I gave the
others to my two daughters.  I asked that they always wear them, so
that no matter how far away from each other we all may be, they could
look down at the rings on their fingers and be reminded of how much
their Mother truly loves them.

Cheri Lee Funk
Cheri@staff.theravecentral.com

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

© 2000 Cheri Lee Funk

=================

I am currently living in a small beach town on the East coast called
Southport, North Carolina.  I am a mom of two daughters and grandmother of
two grandsons and a set of twin granddaughters.  I keep busy working on my
suntan at the beach, writing 3 online e-zines for The Rave and writing
poetry and short stories.
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Thought For The Day:

"Let no feeling of discouragement prey upon you, and in the you are sure to succeed."
(Abraham Lincoln)

 

Verse for the Day:

"The Lord Himself goes before you and will be with you; He will never leave you nor forsake you.  Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged."
Deuteronomy 31:8

 

Kid's Thought For The Day:

"If you stay clean you'll never have any fun."

 

Parent's Thought For The Day

"You feel completely comfortable entrusting your baby to them for long periods, which is why most grandparents flee to Florida at the earliest opportunity."
(Dave Berry)

 

Coach's Thought For The Day

"We first make our habits, then our habits make us."

 

Deep Thought For The Day:

Good judgment comes from experience, and a lot of that comes from bad judgment.

  _
/_/\/\    MICHAEL T. POWERS
\_\  /    THUNDER27@aol.com  
/_/  \    "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 surprised 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

Do you feel as if life has no meaning for you?
 The Four Spiritual Laws
http://www.ccci.org/laws/index.html

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