Tears

In a wave of emotion, Hank had laid the letter on Mollie’s worn bible. Having it visible brought him some comfort. Her quiet time in the morning had always been her first priority.  She did her best to be up before the birds and before the pitter- patter of little feet could  be heard, and she continued this practice into the teenage years of their children. Thanksgiving Day went by like any other day. The pain in his right shoulder, instigated by too many falls off horses in his younger years had caught up with him. No amount of whiskey or Ben Gay brought relief. He settled himself in his easy chair and prepared for what might come from reading the letter.

He had been afraid to read the contents, and as he slowly read each word of the sweet simple letter, years of pent-up emotion spilled out like a dam that had burst. The tears came from the depth of his soul where nothing, nor no one could reach in the past few years. After a matter of minutes he was able to gain his composure and took in a  few deep breaths. He felt as though a weight had been lifted and a sense of peace overcame him. So, Kayleigh and Libby were following in their grandpa’s footsteps. He recalled the times he played the fiddle for the girls when they were just toddling about, sometimes following him into his workshop where he spent numerous hours building and repairing violins.

He had not been in the shop for years. When Mollie departed, he lost interest in music, his reason for living was gone. Gone was the laughter, the singing and the smell of bread baking in the old stove. Why, he had asked God over and over again.  Hearing of his granddaughter’s interest in music sparked a light within him that hadn’t been there for a long time.

He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds.

Psalm 51:17

The Cynic

He got up to the sound of a dog barking. He hemmed and hawed and complained as was his same response when he heard the dogs barking and really got rattled when the neighborhood children rode their bikes by  his home. All he heard was screaming and laughter. Outta be a law against happiness he thought to himself. He looked out the window and it was another bleak day, in his mind. Color had left the old man’s life. All days looked the same. Since his wife passed away and his kids refused to talk to him, his heart had hardened and he refused to see beauty in his world. He only listened to the endless pessimistic rants of the news media. Always siding with those that pushed their negative opinions on those that listened. November had moved quickly. Not fast enough for the old buzzard, as he was secretly called by his neighbors. They had initially attempted to befriend him many months ago when they were new to the area, but he immediately rejected any offer of friendship. He looked at his calendar. He was surprised to see that the next day was Thanksgiving. Just another day to him. He pondered for a moment and remembered that he had a  tv  dinner in the freezer, so there was no need to make a trip to town.

Despite his attitude he managed to keep Mollie’s Antique store going. He knew she would be pleased.There for just a moment he felt a tingle of warmth, but he quickly dismissed it.  It was a wonder that their business continued to thrive considering his lack of personality. It could have been a deal breaker and a deterrent to many.  But what saved him was their vast collection of unusual antiques and eclectic junk that they had hunted for in their forty years of marriage.

They had been a team and without her, life really was not worth living.

Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen… Ephesians 4:29