----- Original Message ----- From: "MARIE FULLER" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: <Undisclosed-Recipient:;> Sent: Thursday, September 04, 2008 9:53 AM Subject: Tear-Jerker.......
> > > >> THIS IS ONE OF THE BEST ONES YET. >> >> IN SEPTEMBER 1960, I WOKE UP ONE MORNING WITH SIX HUNGRY BABIES AND JUST >> 75 >> CENTS IN MY POCKET. _ >> >> Their father was gone. >> >> The boys ranged from three months to seven years; their sister was two. >> >> Their Dad had never been much more than a presence they feared. >> WHENEVER THEY HEARD HIS TIRES CRUNCH ON THE GRAVEL DRIVEWAY THEY would >> scramble to hide under their beds. >> >> He did manage to leave $15 a week to buy groceries. >> >> Now that he had decided to leave, there would be no more beatings, but no >> food either. >> >> If there was a welfare system in effect in southern Indiana at that time, >> I >> certainly knew nothing about it. >> >> I scrubbed the kids until they looked brand new and then put on my best >> homemade dress, loaded them into the rusty old 51 Chevy and drove off to >> find a job. >> >> THE SEVEN OF US WENT TO EVERY FACTORY, STORE_ __AND RESTAURANT IN OUR >> SMALL >> TOWN. _ >> >> No luck. >> THE KIDS STAYED CRAMMED INTO THE CAR AND TRIED TO BE QUIET WHILE I TRIED >> TO >> CONVINCE WHO EVER WOULD LISTEN THAT I WAS WILLING TO LEARN or do >> anything. I >> had to have a job. >> >> Still no luck. The last place we went to, just a few miles out of town, >> was >> an old Root Beer Barrel drive-in t hat had been converted to a truck >> stop. >> >> It was called the Big Wheel. AN OLD LADY NAMED GRANNY OWNED THE PLACE >> AND >> SHE PEEKED OUT OF the window from time to time at all those kids. >> >> She needed someone on the graveyard shift, 11 at night until seven in the >> morning. >> >> She paid 65 cents an hour, and I could start that night. >> >> I raced home and called the teenager down the street that baby-sat for >> people. >> >> I bargained with her to come and sleep on my sofa for a dollar a night. >> >> She could arrive with her pajamas on and the kids would already be asleep >> >> This seemed like a good arrangement to her, so we made a deal. THAT >> NIGHT >> WHEN THE LITTLE ONES AND I KNELT TO_ _say our prayers, we all thanked God >> for finding Mommy a job. And so I started at the Big Wheel. WHEN I GOT >> HOME >> IN THE MORNINGS I WOKE THE BABY-SITTER UP AND SENT HER HOME WITH ONE >> DOLLAR >> OF MY TIP MONEY-- FULLY HALF OF WHAT I AVERAGED every night. >> >> As the weeks went by, heating bills added a strain to my meager wage. >> >> The tires on the old Chevy had the consistency of penny balloons and >> began >> to leak. I had to fill them with air on the way to work and again every >> morning before I could go home. >> >> One bleak fall morning, I dragged myself to the car to go home and found >> four tires in the back seat. New tires! >> >> There was no note, no nothing, just those beautiful brand new tires. >> >> Had angels taken up residence in Indiana ? I wondered. >> >> I made a deal with the local service station.. >> >> In exchange for his mounting the new tires, I would clean up his office. >> >> I remember it took me a lot longer to scrub his floor than it did for him >> to >> do the tires. >> >> I was now working six nights instead of five and it still wasn't enough. >> >> Christmas was coming and I knew there would be no money for toys for the >> kids. >> >> I found a can of red paint and started repairing and painting some old >> toys. >> Then I hid them in the basement so there would be something for Santa to >> deliver on Christmas morning. >> >> Clothes were a worry too.. I was sewing patches on top of patches on the >> boy's pants and soon they would be too far gone to repair. >> >> On Christmas Eve the usual customers were drinking coffee in the Big >> Wheel. >> There were the truckers, Les, Frank, and Jim, and a state trooper named >> Joe. >> >> A few musicians were hanging around after a gig at the Legion and WERE >> DROPPING NICKELS IN THE PINBALL MACHINE._ _ >> >> The regulars all just sat around and talked through the wee hours of the >> morning and then left to get home before the sun came up. WHEN IT WAS >> TIME >> FOR ME TO GO HOME AT SEVEN O\'CLOCK ON CHRISTMAS MORNING, TO MY >> AMAZEMENT, >> MY OLD BATTERED CHEVY WAS FILLED FULL TO THE TOP WITH BOXES OF ALL SHAPES >> AND SIZES. >> >> I quickly opened the driver's side door, crawled inside and kneeled in >> the >> front facing the back seat. REACHING BACK, I PULLED OFF THE LID OF THE >> TOP >> BOX. >> >> Inside was whole case of little blue jeans, sizes 2-10! >> >> I looked inside another box: It was full of shirts to go with the jeans. >> >> Then I peeked inside some of the other boxes. There was candy and nuts >> and >> bananas and bags of groceries. There was an enormous ham for baking, and >> canned vegetables and potatoes. There was pudding and Jell-O and >> cookies, >> pie filling and flour. There was whole bag of laundry supplies and >> cleaning >> items. >> >> And there were five toy trucks and one beautiful little doll. >> >> As I drove back through empty streets as the sun slowly rose on the most >> amazing Christmas Day of my life, I was sobbing with gratitude. >> >> And I will never forget the joy on the faces of my little ones that >> precious >> morning. >> >> Yes, there were angels in Indiana that long-ago December. And they all >> hung >> out at the Big Wheel truck stop.... THE POWER OF PRAYER. I BELIEVE THAT >> GOD >> ONLY GIVES THREE ANSWERS to prayer: >> >> God still sits on the throne, the devil is a liar. You maybe going >> through >> a tough time right now but God is getting ready to bless you in a way >> that >> you cannot imagine. >> >> Lets continue to pray for one another. Here is the prayer? >> >> Father, I ask You to bless my friends, relatives and email buddies >> reading >> this right now. Show them a new revelation of Your love and power. Amen. >> > > > -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- > > > > No virus found in this incoming message. > Checked by AVG - http://www.avg.com > Version: 8.0.169 / Virus Database: 270.6.16/1650 - Release Date: 9/3/2008 > 4:13 PM > > --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Deaf-Blind Inspirational Life Group" group. 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