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~ Welcome to
Stories of Heart! ~
If you are not a subscriber and this has been passed on to you, join us by sending a blank e-mail to [email protected] with "subscribe" in the subject line. And get the love direct! Tour our web site: http://www.geocities.com/jenniferioliver2001 ________________________________________________________ Happy birthday to our big four-year-old, Matthew! Yee-haw, cowboy! Folks,
I am privileged to pass on a story by Roger Dean Kiser, Sr.
that will appear next month in the book “Chicken
Soup for the Grandparents’ Soul.”
You will find out in today’s story his granddaughter
teaching him a powerful lesson. I guess we all know of the one person in the neighborhood who stays by himself or herself and has very little to do with everyone else in the community. You know the type, right? Well, that is not exactly me, but I have almost been there. I have been married too many times to talk about. In fact it would be embarrassing to say the exact number. All of the marriages were very good as far as I was concerned, yet ended because I was unable to show love or affection. I found it very easy to be nice, kind, and responsible. I mean, what else is there other than being good, kind, honest, and responsible? That is all I ever knew or was ever taught as an orphan, living in that terrible orphanage in Jacksonville, Florida. One day I was sitting in my house, and this little girl shows up at my door with dirty hands and chocolate all over her face. "Don't move and I mean don't move a muscle!" I yelled at her as I ran to get a washrag. "Darn kids can't do anything without making trouble for me," I thought as I returned to wash her hands and face. For the remainder of the day I worked as a prison guard, making sure this little troublemaker did not touch any of my personal stuff. All day long all I heard was "Can I have this and can I have that?" I thought I would pull out what little bit of hair I had left before the day was over. Thank God the phone finally rang, and they were on their way back to pick her up. But, Oh No! They had not made it back to town and wanted to know if I would keep her for the night. Reaching for the aspirin bottle, I shook my head and told them, "I guess I have no choice." Later that evening I put Chelsey to bed, and as I was about to leave the room she looked at me and asked, "Poppa, do you love me?" "Of course, I love you!" I hollered. "I'm your Poppa!" and then I closed the door and left the room. "I love you too, Poppa," I heard her say in a quiet voice through the door. I rested my head against her door and closed my eyes just for a moment. I immediately swung opened the door and just stood there, looking at her. She just looked at me with her innocent little face, and she smiled a little grin. The most unfamiliar feeling came over me. I slowly walked over and sat down on the edge of her bed, and she reached over and kissed my rough hand. Something shot through my entire body. I grabbed that three-year-old little baby girl, and I hugged her as tightly in my arms as I could. I believe that is the first time in my life that I have ever felt what the true feeling of "unconditional love" really felt like, even though I have four other children and have been married 'X' number of times. I had never known what the true feeling of love felt like until that very moment, and I had never even realized that fact. Now Poppa and his little sweetheart eat Hershey's Dark Chocolate in Granny's favorite recliner until Granny gets the broom and chases Poppa and Chelsey to the bedroom where they watch cartoons together and get chocolate all over everything. What a wonderful feeling. It is true that
one must learn to love before you can truly begin to live,
even at age 53. He is also one of the co-authors of "Heartwarmers," "Heartwarmers of Love," and the Petwarmers CD Collection. He is honored to have had his story "Elvis Died at the Florida Barber College" published in "A Cool Collection," a school workbook for teenage school children in the country of Israel. That same story is also being made into a short film at Surrey University in England, by Freddie Francis, the Cinematographer of the movie "The Elephant Man." Roger now spends most of his time writing about child abuse issues and giving talks in the Georgia School system. He states that he never forgot how he and 300 other children were treated as though they were less than human while living in a Jacksonville, Florida, orphanage. You can
purchase Roger's book, "ORPHAN" in major book stores
or order Check out
Roger's interview at HeartTouchers: Check out Judy
Kiser's interview (Roger's wife) at HeartTouchers: ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~ Folks, here is another story by Roger Dean Kiser, Sr. - a story that explains why he is using his life to offer hope and kindness to orphans and abused children coast to coast: Each year this organization of men came to the Children's Home Society Orphanage. All the boys and girls would get two dollars each to buy a Christmas gift. The men would take us in groups of five to downtown Jacksonville, Florida, to do our Christmas shopping. I remember going with this one gentleman three years in a row. He would take us shopping; then he would ask us if we wanted to go to the movies. I remember watching him really closely when we got to the theater. I watched him as he pulled out his wallet to pay for our tickets. He looked over at me and just smiled with his great big smile. During the movie he bought us all the popcorn and candy that we wanted. I remember thinking how wonderful it was that someone would spend their own money on someone like us. We all laughed at the funny movie and had a really good time. The man would laugh really hard and then he would pat me on top of the head. Then he would laugh really hard again and reach over and rustle my hair. I would just look at him, and he would just keep smiling with his great big wonderful smile. That trip to the movies was the first time in my life that I ever felt as if someone really cared about me. It was a wonderful feeling, which I have never forgotten, even to this day, fifty years later. I had never felt anything like that in my entire life. It was not 'love' that saved me, or any of the other orphans from that orphanage. It was strictly the "kindness" that shown to us, by just a few. An unknown feeling to we kids, yet it allowed us feel equal and to know, for the first time in our lives, that we had a value and a worth. "Kindness is the foundation for raising a good child, when love is no where to be found. This is a cause that will succeed if the public will support it. I cannot make this foundation work without the help of others. The Sad Orphan Foundation has been established to specifically help orphans in the United States of America. The intent of this organization is to make sure that a minimum of 90-95% of all the donations received go directly to the children. Not to groups, organizations and/or Societies who tend to pay themselves large salaries and in the end leave the kids getting little or nothing. I want these kids to know, without any doubt, whatsoever, that the world outside the orphanage really cares about them. I want them to know that not having a mother and a father is lonely, yet it is survivable. What I plan to do for these children may not have much of an effect right now. But in the years to come they will remember the kindness that was showed to them. I know this for a fact. Common sense tells us that we never harm those who are kind to us. Kindness is the only path leading into the heart of the orphan, or abused child. It is then, and only then, that we can start to build a lasting relationship based on love and trust. The money given to this foundation will not be wasted. There will be no fancy envelopes or stationary. These items, if necessary, will be purchased from the dollar store. I will not spend one penny on anything that the orphanage itself should have purchased for the children. If by chance, these children are taken to Disney World, Universal Studios, a water slide, movie or the like, I, as the President of the foundation, will make sure that the lowest possible fare(s) have been achieved. It is hoped that someday computers will be placed in the orphanages and that I can start a program, which I will call "e-doptions." I want the children in these orphanages to have access to the people who are helping them. I want them to look forward to receiving e-mails and encouragement from those who care about them. When the day comes for these children to leave the orphanage, I do not want them to feel, as I did, that it really does not matter if they go North, South, East or West. I want them to know that no matter what direction they travel in (to make a life for themselves) that there is someone near who cares for them. Those who wish to make a donation please send a check or money order to: THE SAD ORPHAN
FOUNDATION NOTICE TO CONTRIBUTORS: Please do not send cash. Your check or money order will be your receipt for your tax-deductible contribution. For more
information please visit Roger's web site at: Roger’s
story about being a grandparent reminded me of a wonderful
idea I’d like to pass on to you.
I know of a lady who was to become a grandmother, and
on her way into her classroom to teach Bible study, the ladies
had a surprise in store for her.
They had piled gifts on all the tables in preparation
for a Grandmother Shower!
They showered her with baby clothes, diapers, and the
like, knowing she would be taking care of her twin grandbabies
in her home. Jennifer
Basye Sander, editorial director, is looking for a few good
stories! She is
the Editorial Director of Big City Books Group, Authors, Book
Developers, and Publishing Consultants.
See below for details: I'm
looking for first person, true accounts of that Aha! moment in
your life when you suddenly realized that life could be so
much easier if only you looked at things a little
differently...how much happier you could be if you stopped
worrying about every detail, or stopped rushing from one thing
to the next...basically, how you stopped "sweating the
small stuff." Alas,
we don't want a book of stories where every one of them talks
about not sweating the small stuff, so we need a broad array
of stories that describe different experiences, but with the
same outcome -- that you look at life differently now. Feel
free to pitch your idea first if you want an opinion on
whether it is right for the collection.
This book will be pubbed in Winter 2003 by Hyperion as
a part of the Don't Sweat Press series that was launched a few
months back. I'm
looking for stories 750-1,500 words in length with a
beginning, middle, and end that draws a reader in and moves
them along. Payment is $50 per story for each one used, and
you will receive a writer's credit in the book at the end of
your story. Please cut and paste the story into an email to
submit, no attachments, please. Hope this fills in the gaps,
look forward to seeing a story from you! Submit your story to Jennifer Basye Sander at [email protected]! _________________________________________________________ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ In
response to “Wife Seeking Wife” (http://www.geocities.com/jenniferioliver2001/wife.htm) please don’t make me wait years for the next chapter, that is the best I have read in years, keep pumping it out, love it. Thanks, terryann, southernbrat _________________________________________________________ |
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