Grace Moments by Dolores Martin

AND THE WELL WENT DRY

Sarah was born to a Jewish family who emigrated to the United-States from eastern Europe. They settled in a beautiful rural area of eastern Pennsylvania.

This was the land of opportunity. The land of the free.

BUT NOT FREE OF BIGOTRY!!!!!!!!

They moved into a small home surrounded by beautiful green pastures. As in most country areas, ones water supply came from a drilled well and/or stream. They had a good well. An abundance of water.

Her father was able to provide a good life for his family. They were happy.

A family had moved into the area and lived down the road. Sarah started school and walked past this home on her way to school.

Members of this family started to pick on Sarah. She began to experience harassment everyday on her way to school. This was very upsetting to her.

The abusive language was also directed at her parents. They were confused as to why this was happening.

They tried to be good neighbors and were well liked in this area. What was different with this new family.

It soon became known that members of the family belonged to the Klu Klux Klan.

This family intimidated Sarah and her family. Sarah and her family TURNED THE OTHER CHEEK and PRAYED that someday their neighbors would stop their verbal abuse.

Then MOTHER NATURE stepped in.

The neighbors WELL WENT DRY...........

Their neighbors were stressed and upset when they discovered that their WELL HAD RUN DRY.

Sarah had overheard them talking about the problems with their well on her way home from school. They were so focused on their water problem that they did not harass Sarah this day.

Drilling a new well is a costly venture even when there is a good chance of finding water. There is also the possibility of not finding water and having to drill more than one well.

I can speak from personal experience on this issue.

Then there is the problem of finding water to run the household while a new well is being drilled.

Sarah was a very caring child from a very caring family. When she told her parents about the plight of their neighbors, they responded in a positive manner.

Sarah and her family approached the family who had been harassing them and OFFERED TO SHARE THEIR WATER.

This offer was accepted by the abusive family. This incident caused them to pause and reflect on their bad behaviour and their BIGOTRY. They changed their ways and became good neighbors.

MY PSYCHIC ANIMAL FRIEND

Kathleen was going through a very difficult time in her life. She had a tendency to look at the world through rose colored glasses and reality had set in.

Her problems, not of her doing, were creating physical as well as emotional havoc with her life. She never, ever, in her wildest dreams had expected to be caught up in the ugly situation that confronted her.

Her friends invited her to visit them. They did not know what she was going through. They lived in a beautiful area of Virginia and she jumped at the opportunity to visit.

Getting out in the fresh country air. Away from the ugliness. That is what the doctor would order.

Richard picked her up from the airport and they proceeded to his beautiful country home. Upon arrival, she exited the car and stood looking out at the beautiful countryside. She started to feel better.

As she was admiring the gardens, Casey, a beautiful golden retriever showed up at her side. He looked at her with the most intelligent, knowing eyes of any animal that she had ever encountered.

His canine friends joined them and sat at Kathleen's feet. She leaned down to pet each one and she was greeted by a big fat slobbering kiss on the face. This made her laugh. All her new found friends then got up and romped around the property.

That evening at dinner, Casey was at her side looking up at her. When she got up, Casey was with her. When she went to sleep, Casey was in the bedroom with her.

This was unusual behaviour for Casey. Casey was cautious of many people. A good friend of Sharon,(her friend) stopped by to chat. She told Kathleen that she had been trying to get Casey to come to her for over a year with no success. Why was Casey behaving like this.

Casey had sensed the sadness in Kathleen's heart. Casey picked up on her pain even though Richard and Sharon were not aware of her problems. Kathleen always put on a happy face and people rarely if ever knew when she was hurting. BUT CASEY KNEW......

Casey was the very best tonic for what was ailing Kathleen. With the loving companionship of her new found friend, she was able to step back and look at her problems from a different point of view.

WHAT A BLESSING TO MEET this loving golden retriever. Wherever Kathleen went on the property, there was Casey at her side.

Richard and Sharon had never witnessed this behaviour from their beautiful dog with a stranger.

Sharon and Kathleen explored the beautiful mountains of Virginia. Casey was sad to be left behind but Casey would get car sick and would not get in a car. UNTIL the day that Kathleen was to leave for home.

Kathleen packed her suitcase and left it in the bedroom. Casey was outside and did not see her pack the suitcase. BUT CASEY KNEW that Kathleen was leaving. How? who knows.......

Richard opened the car door and Casey jumped into the car. WHAT WAS GOING ON? Casey hated to get into a car. Richard removed the dog from the car but Casey ran around to the other side and jumped back into the car.

Kathleen left the house with her suitcase and Casey ran up to her. He walked all around her and would not leave her side. She reached down and played with her new friend. She looked into Casey's eyes and saw the understanding, love and compassion in this dogs eyes. She had felt this all week long and Casey helped her to relax and rejuvenate her mind, body and soul.

WHAT AN UNEXPECTED GIFT........

She sat in the front seat of the car and Casey jumped into the drivers seat. Richard had to tug and pull Casey from the car. He finally was successful, only to find that Casey ran around to the passenger side of the car and jumped into the car beside Kathleen. Casey was determined.

Casey finally was pulled from the car and all doors were closed.

As Richard started to drive, Casey followed them to the end of the road with those big, beautiful loving eyes. He seemed to perk up when Kathleen smiled and yelled to him, "I am fine, my new friend." "I will never forget you, I love you."

I have read somewhere that animals are more psychic than humans. I need to research this more but from my own personal experience, I have witnessed many animals respond in a psychic way. They know by instinct when something is about to happen before it does. At times, I may write about this. I would ask others to share their animal stories with me to write about.

Kathleen was a different person when she returned home. She was able to address issues that she felt helpless in dealing with in a more positive way. A new furry friend was a blessing in disguise.

Grace Moments by Dolores Martin

A FINAL ACT OF LOVE AND AN EVERLASTING LEGACY

"Aunt Liz, Aunt Liz, I am getting married!" exclaimed Betty Anne. Would you please bake your famous bread and pies for my wedding?

Liz always had a 25 pound bag of baking flour in her kitchen. She would bake bread every day. Pies and cakes several times a week. She started in the wee hours of the morning before she left for her little business located at the back of her property.

She was hard at work by the time her children woke up in the morning. Liz was not there in the kitchen to greet them but they had fresh baked bread and pastry to eat prior to going off to school.

Many times she would bake during the day and if any small child wandered into her kitchen, she would give them some dough to bake with her. She was always surrounded by people. She helped many people to better their lives.

SHE ALSO WAS PHYSICALLY HANDICAPPED. Her disability did not slow her down nor deter her from helping others. She was total love.

Liz was excited that Betty and Rance had set a wedding date. She was so pleased that they wanted her to bake for their wedding. Plans were set in motion.

A few weeks later, Liz was not feeling well. She rarely, if ever, complained when in pain but this time something was seriously wrong. Dr. Doyle was called to the home. (these were the good old days when Doctors made home visits)

Dr. Doyle scheduled her for hospital tests and the news was not good. LIZ HAD CANCER. She had less than 6 months to live.

Liz called Betty Anne and told her that she probably would not live to see Betty Anne walk down the aisle.

Betty Anne and Rance rescheduled their wedding to an earlier date in order for Aunt Liz to see her married. They did not expect her to bake for their wedding and were making other plans for the baked items. Liz would not hear of this. She said that she would bake for the wedding and she was determined to do so.

Joe, her husband of 47 years, tried to talk her out of this. Her condition was deteriorating at a fast pace. She was very weak and could barely move from her bed. She was in pain but she was also determined to bake one last time. Not just for the wedding but for her six children and their families.

Days before the wedding, Joe helped her from her bed and practically carried her to the kitchen. She sat at the kitchen table while Joe helped her get ready for baking. He was going to help since she could not walk back and forth from the oven.

Four little children visited her in the kitchen during that time. They were all under 4 years of age. She took time to give each of them some dough to make some bread. They hugged and kissed her. Everyone had flour over their hands and faces. She smiled and continued to bake and bake and bake.

She baked enough for the wedding. She baked enough for all of her children to take home to their families and to freeze.

SHE DIED A FEW DAYS LATER........

Liz died in 1968. I have a faded Polaroid picture of her and those 4 little children baking and covered with flour. Three of those little ones were my children. Liz was my mother, my role model, my inspiration.

Even though the children were very young when she died, they remembered baking with Grandma. They will always remember this very, very special woman who weighed over 300 pounds and whose heart was bigger than she was.