Once Upon A Time....

Once upon a time in the Kingdom of Roderick, there were two little Princesses. Even though they lived in separate castles, they were very close, yet very different.
Princess Leanah was a shy, sweet and quiet, rather frail little three year old.  Princess Cyndi was a strong, energetic, dramatic and sometimes a rather loud two year old.  The two little girls loved to spend time together playing with their dolls or running with their older brothers (when they would allow it). Princess Cyndi, although younger, took care of her older cousin sensing her shy, quiet spirit.
Then one day a wicked curse came upon the kingdom and Princess Cyndi was struck with a terrible illness.  She was taken away from her dear cousin and it was difficult for Princess Leanah to understand.  Where had her Cyndi gone? Why wasn't she coming to run and play?  The King and Queen of Keen tried to explain to their precious daughter that little Cyndi was very sick and was in the Royal Hospital but that she may never get to walk and run again.
It was difficult for this three year old to comprehend this explanation and all she really did know is that she missed her friend and cousin very much.  Then on Christmas Day, after she had opened all her presents, the King and Queen told her they had a very special gift for her.  Cyndi was sitting up and would be able to have visitors today.  Princess Leanah was going to get to play with her cousin today.  She could hardly wait.

When they arrived at the hospital, Leanah found a frail, shy, sad little girl sitting on a strange throne with big wheels. They tried to tell her this was her beloved Cyndi but it was hard to believe.  This wasn't the happy, fun and chubby playmate she remembered but inside this three year old knew this was her Cyndi. She could see it in her eyes.  And then a transformation took place.  Princess Leanah became a mother lioness.  She became strong and protective of her little cousin. She knew in her heart that she would always be there for her.  She would be her legs and her arms and anything else she needed.  She would watch over her forever.
When Princess Cyndi came home from the hospital Leanah began pulling her around in her red flyer coach wherever she wanted to go.  She used her strong legs to pull her on a sled or push her on a tricycle. 
Leanah couldn't bare to have her out of her sight.  At one point they thought they should separate the two girls in Sunday School so Leanah would be more apt to concentrate on the lesson rather then Cyndi.  But she threw such a fit, crying uncontrollably that her Cyndi might need her, that they had to put them back together.  Leanah would even learn to pick her up when she fell. They did everything that all little girls do and they did it together.

These two little Princesses would grow to have Kingdoms of their own but one thing will always remain the same. They would always love each other and share the special  bond of their childhood and they would both live happily ever after.

 

The Piano Bench

By the forth grade, I had these braces and crutches pretty well mastered.  No longer did I rip them off the minute I got home from school.  Therefore, my braces were beginning to wear on the back of my leg.  Back then, braces were made of steel covered with leather so I was down to bare steel.  Consequently, I could easily scratch a chair when I sat in them.  I had probably scratched many a church pew.
My forth grade year in school I was mainstreamed into a regular classroom.  A little girl named Marcy reached out to me.  She was an only child and we became wonderful friends.  I would spend many nights at her home playing.  I had a very special bond with her daddy.  A child senses when they are loved and her parents truly loved me and I them.  I remember her parents taking me to concerts, plays and programs at the college right along with Marcy.  Her dad would carry me to and and from the car in the winter or when I got tired.  It was then I noticed he walked with a limp.  He shared with me that he had polio at the age of 10 and after 27 surgeries he could walk with a slight limp.  That was the first time I realized that polio had many faces.  Her daddy had a servant's heart and was always very thankful for what he had and for what God had done for him.
Marcy played the piano.  Her grandmother had paid for her to take lessons from the time she was five.  Her great grandmother had been putting away money from war bonds to buy Marcy and her mom a piano someday.  Marcy's family had just moved into a beautiful house in town.  It was the most beautiful house I think I had ever seen and even when I drive by it today, I still can see two little girls playing make believe inside with Marcy's little dog.
Little by little her parents were furnishing the house and Marcy's mom began to look for a used piano but she was reminded by her grandmother that there was money for a brand new piano. "Just go pick out whatever you want". So she picked out the most beautiful brown wood, high gloss piano she could find. A few days later I came for a visit and Marcy and I couldn't wait to sit at the piano. 
Two years ago Marcy shared the "rest of the story" with me at our high school reunion.  This is what she told me in her words:  "After you went home Cyndi, mom came into the living room and saw scratches on the piano bench from your braces and she began to cry.  My dad told her not to cry, that Cyndi didn't mean to do it.  She said "Of course not but I don't know how to repair it and grandmother hasn't even seen it yet."
My daddy said "We are NOT going to fix the bench (as he loving touched the marks on the bench). Every time we look at it we will think of the joy and love that Cyndi brings.  It will always remind us of her and it will always remind me of how fortunate I have been.  I simply wish I could share my good fortune with her."
To this day the piano is proudly displayed in my parents living room.  When mom plays she often looks down at the bench and smiles. I have often seen dad sit on the bench feeling the marks as he is talking."
I thanked Marcy for telling me that story with tears in my eyes.  I try everyday to ask the Lord to help me be a blessing to others.  Why?  Because I have been so blessed to have so many people who have loved me along the way. 

A Desire of My Heart

I have one last water adventure to tell you, for now.  Two years ago, I was awarded a prize at the Women's Care Center, Walk for Life.  I roll threw this event every year to help raise money for The Center.  As I rolled up to claim my prize there were chuckles around the room because the prize was a Water Rafting Trip down the Ocoee River.  Surely I would not be able to claim this prize for my own!
Little did these people know that it had always been a secret desire of mine to go white water rafting. There was One who knew and that was my Lord and Savior.  You could say, it was on my bucket list.  These people did not know my adventurous spirit either.   The Walk is the last weekend in September and my tickets expired in October so I immediately called to make my reservations.  So the third weekend in October we were set to go.
The Friday before we were to go I was working at The Center and I ventured into the Director's office.  "Guess where I'm going tomorrow?" I asked.  "White water rafting".  She was shocked and quick to tell me that I could not go.  "Well, you gave me the tickets", I answered.
"Well you weren't suppose to use them", she said.  "What if you fall in?"
This was my answer:  "Most of my life I have wanted to white water raft.  God knew my desire, and without even asking Him for it, he gave it to me. It's not only your gift but it's His gift and His gifts are perfect.  It will be the perfect day.  I am not worried about the weather or falling in.  It's going to be great.  I can't wait.  Thank you so much.  God has used you to fulfill this dream so don't worry and be happy for me."
So Saturday morning my husband and I bundled up and with a change of dry clothes and shoes, we set off for the Ocoee River.  The Ocoee is where the kayaking competition was done during the summer Olympics. 
It was 58 degrees and no rain.  The leaves were slow in changing that year but the Thursday before the mountains exploded into color. So adored in the most fashionable wind suits and a few how-to instructions, we pushed off into the water.  I felt like Cleopatra as everyone lifted the boat into the water with me in it.
It was chilly but the water was a warm 72 degrees, so even though we were soaked to the bone within the first 60 seconds,  the constant drenching we were getting kept us warm.  No one in our boat fell in although once I wasn't sure if I had or not.  That wall of water you see to your right in the second picture, washed over me in picture three, right in front of the guide, which is where I was sitting.  I half way expected to be in the water but "surprise" I was still in the boat.  It was a memory for the books.  The scenery was gorgeous, I never got cold and it was a real thrill ride for sure.
I am so thankful the Lord gave me this heart's desire as He has done many times over.  I am so very blessed.

"The Cyndi"

I can not leave this subject of sailing without one quick story.  I've shared with you that my dad had a Boy Scout Troop for 55 years.  As a 16 year old girl, this proved to be a very fascinating feature about my dad as each Monday night during the summer, I conveniently found myself in the kitchen as the boys began to arrive through our back door and down the steps to the basement. 
There were two boys that summer who spent a lot of time at our house.  They were working in our garage, building a sailboat to earn a merit badge.  They were working on becoming an Eagle Scout, which is a very high honor, I might add.  One of these boys, I had a crush on and the other boy had a crush on me but he was very shy. I saw him come out of his shell that summer as he put his all on the line to earn a badge and my heart.  So as the boys worked each day in our garage, I would spend as much time as I could "helping them".  I thought it particulary amuzing that neither one of them knew how to sail.  Of all the things they could have built, why a sailboat, but I promised to teach them.  Oh, the sacrifices we make to help our fellow man!!
Every other summer, I took a train to St. Louis to visit a girlfriend.  I was very excited about the upcoming trip.  So I left the boys to their work and told them I would be back at the end of July and that boat better be finished!  I was as excited to come home to see their finished work as I was to leave.  My mom picked me up at the station and drove me home.  There in our backyard, sitting on some saw-horses, sat my boat.  Yes, you heard me, my boat. Painted black with a red sail and the words "The Cyndi" painted on the side.  I couldn't belive they named it after me.  They said, "We not only named it after you, but it's your boat. Camp starts next week, and this year you will go with your own boat!"  Even though I hated the color, it was the most beautiful gift I had ever recieved. The next summer I repainted it to the most beautiful torquoise and dyed the sail. 
I did keep my promise to teach them.  My parents and the two boys planned a Saturday to take the boat to the lake.  The weather that day was awful.  Soooo windy and gloomy.  We had planned a whole day but it didn't look like the rain was going to hold off.  So I took the first boy out for a spin, brought him back and set off with shy guy.  The wind was really strong by now, so my mom insisted I wear a life jacket.  Mothers!! 
Once we were out in the middle, a huge gust came up and the boat went over.  Not anything I wasn't use to but it probably freaked out shy guy a little.  However, the rigging to the sail got caught in my so-called life jacket and pulled me under.  I could not get it lose.  I thought, "this is it.  This life jacket is going to kill me." I had a perfect peace come over me.  I did not fear, I just didn't want these two wonderful, caring young men to blame themselves for my death or my mother who made me wear the the vest. But, just like that, in an instant, I was free.  Thank you Lord.  I surfaced, grabbed a quick breath and began with the task of pulling the boat up, getting on and back to shore.  I don't know if these guys ever sailed again. I kind of think they had enough. Needless to say, I wore that boat out but I never wore out my life vest.  I will never forget my days on and in the water of Lake Bloomington or the friends that shared those times with me.
I learned something else that day too.  I am not afraid to die.  I have the absolute assurance of my eternal life in Heaven, now and even then at 16 years of age.  There is no greater peace my friends. 
John 3:16

Sail On

I'll never forget that cold, rainy, windy day at camp.  Rumor had it that some sailboats had been donated to the camp.  We never had sailboats before and I assure you, my fellow junior counselors and I were ecstatic.  Our water front director, Bill, was as excited as we were.  Everyone was going in for breakfast when he pulled me aside and asked me if I wanted to learn to sail.  "Right now", I asked.  "Yes, come on.  I'll show you."  So off to the beach we went.  I learned fairly quickly that it didn't matter if it was raining when you went sailing because you were going to get wet anyway.  But it might have been just a tad too windy for my first time out. 
So we arrive at the beach and what do I see but a couple of little tub-like boats with a red sail.  They reminded me of rub-a-dub-dub, but you would never get three men in that tub!  But I was game so Bill with his long tan legs and I crawled into that boat.  It was a disaster!  We couldn't get it to go where we wanted.  We went in circles quite a bit.  Bill was very frustrated and ended up swimming us back to shore.
This tub boat seems to represent to me a new Christian or one that is not in God's Word.  They are trying to sail through life on their own.  The tools are there.  The wind is blowing and you're trying to steer but you just go in circles. I needed instruction and Bill was determined to give me that, if I would be open to it.  Don't circle around in the shallow end of faith.  Experience is the best teacher.  Get into God's Word and see what He can teach you.
The next summer they brought in a Sunfish.  It had all the tools a great sailboat needed. The fun thing about it was, if it tipped over, you just stood on the centerboard and pulled it back up.  It was flat so it was very easy to get back on.   Sort of like when we fall into sin, God forgives, we stand on His promises and get right back into the race of living a spirit filled life.
After several years of sailing experience, I was told one day to take the Directors 26 foot sailing vessel out with a load of children.  This boat was huge.  It had two or three sails and a very big centerboard. I felt unprepared.  It was too much responsibility and I felt unsure.  What if it flipped with all these little crippled children?
Do you feel unprepared to share God's Word or are you just scared?  When the Lord puts an opportunity right in your path, what do you do?  Whatever our faith says God is, He will be.
The more we're in the Word the more prepared we will be to fight Satan, the more prepared you will be to make wise choices, the more prepared you will be to share His Word, and the more prepared you will be to handle tragedy in your life. Share what you know.
So I took those children out in that boat and we had a great time.  I gained from that experience and I hope they did too.

Cool, Clear, Water

 I learned at a very young age that water was my friend, my very good friend.  I was first introduced to a whirlpool tank at a very young age where I quickly learned I could move my limbs with no help from anyone else.  I could hardly wait to get over 3 feet tall so I could start taking swimming lessons in the pool at our school.  Finally, my third grade year I was allowed to get in and the water was fine.  I immediately stood on my own, no braces or crutches.  Being in that pool, I felt like just a normal healthy kid.  I couldn't get enough of it.  I learned to float the first day and before you knew it, I was swimming laps.  My junior high year I was making my way up the diving board, scooting to the end and off I'd go.  There, is no beauty in my dive or my swim strokes.  My bootie always seems to want to bob up into the air and I can't kick, but I love it. 
 At Crippled Children's Camp I was introduced to the lake.  I don't particularly care for the sand but I love swimming in the lake.  It was always my goal to swim across it, which I never reached but always wanted to.
At an early age at camp I was taught to row a boat.  Rowing was hard work for such a little thing but I loved it.  When I was little older, I was taught to paddle a canoe.  Now I had found my niche.  It was so easy and I loved how you could just glide across the water and get into all these little coves and streams.  I could have spent everyday of camp out in a canoe from morning till night and have to say, many times I did.  One day during swim period, we were told to take a canoe out a ways and tip it over and then try and get it flipped back up and get inside.  Now there was a challenge.  Many of you may think it's easy to flip a canoe, but really it took some rocking and rolling before we had success.  What fun that was. Oh, getting it over and back inside.  Forget about it!! 
Long about the 8th grade they brought in some sailboats.  That's another story which I will save for next time. But what I want to say before I go is that Crippled Children's Camp was instrumental in my growth at an independent disabled person.  What it taught me is that with God's help and wisdom, I could really do anything I wanted, I just had to figure out a different way to go about it.   I will forever be thankful for that lesson.  It has served me well.  So I love the water, I want to be in it or on it.  It doesn't matter.  Goodness, I even like to drink it.

Everyone Needs a Head Cheerleader

You've heard it said now-a-days, that it takes a village to raise a child.  Well, when I was young, it took a team.  Probably still does.  I had a team of doctors, surgeons, teachers, therapists, camp staff and my family to keep me going.  Like any good team, you need some cheerleaders.  Haven't you noticed when you go to a game, that there is always one or two cheerleaders that stand out.  They cheer louder, jump higher, and are just..well, more enthusiastic about cheering their team on.  I had many cheerleaders but there are two that stood out among all the rest. 
My Aunt Marge and Uncle Jim lived around the corner from us. It was about half a block down our street, around the corner, up two steps onto the sidewalk, another half block on there street, cross the street and up their very steep driveway.  Many times my cousin would come over to my house and get me in the wagon and pull me over to her house to play or sometimes we would just play at mine. Her mom was my mom's sister.  When my grandparents needed to stay with someone, my aunt and uncle built an apartment onto the back of their home for them. That was another reason it was more fun to go to her house.  My grandparents were there.
Over the years my Aunt and Uncle saw me accomplish many things, some big and some not so big. However, their reaction was always the same.  You've never experienced a pat on the back like the one my Uncle Jim could give you. I always knew he was proud of me, no matter what.  Whenever I would learn something new, I couldn't wait to tell them.  But the day I remember most, is the day I decided to walk over to their house by myself.  I had never walked over there before, not even with my cousin.  It was a nice summer day and I knew they were all home.  I don't know how long it took me.  The challenging part was their driveway.  It was huge, straight up.  It's a wonder they could even get up it in the winter. But I took it one step at a time making sure I did not fall (which I was very prone to do). Finally, I made it!  Around to the back door, up the back steps and knock on the door.  "Surprise.  I just walked over here all by myself."  Oh, my goodness, my Uncle was so proud of me.  He gave me a big ole hug and just went on and on about it.  I was so happy.  Aunt Margie fixed me a cool drink and gave me food.  You would have thought I had run a 5k. In their eyes, I had.  What a great day that was. 
A couple summer's ago I drove past their house.  You know that driveway has barely any incline to it at all.  I was like "What???"  "Who stole their driveway and put that little one in there!"
I am still blessed to have my Uncle Jim and he's still cheering me on.