Easter Pines

~ 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 website: http://www.geocities.com/jenniferioliver2001 ________________________________________________________ Folks, please give an e-hug to Michelle Barg as she relates a story by one special man who "stepped right into her heart." And encourage Michelle to bring more of her beautiful stories out into the light! ________________________________________________________ EASTER PINES

Papa was a quiet man when I finally met him in 1987. He was 73 years old, and
I was lucky to add him to my family. He stepped right into my heart, filling the space
left behind by my grandfathers.

Papa had grown up in a little town in northeast Florida, eldest of 10 children. He could
do it all and probably had done it all at some point in his life.

Papa didn't talk a lot, but when he did speak, it usually was a story with some weight
to it. It wasn't just an old man rambling on -- there was a lesson to be learned.

I would delight in listening to him tell me stories about my new husband -- stories of
George growing up under his wing. I loved to hear the stories about George as a young
boy spending his weekends in the north Florida woods hunting with his Papa, or at
Papa's gas station, or helping in the garden behind Papa's house.

Papa was a quiet, religious man. He never was one to preach to others. Two of his brothers
were Pastors at local churches -- he left the preaching to them. The little comments he
made and the stories he told shed some light into his beliefs and his love of God.

On April 8th, we made a trip to my parents' house for my father's birthday celebration. My
husband was quietly driving the family up the Turnpike. I was occupied in the front passenger
seat by a book, while the kids were being much too quiet in the back seat engrossed with a
Gameboy and a coloring book.

I noticed out of the corner of my eye that my husband was straining to look out my window.
This startled me, since his eyes should be on the long road in front of him. I asked him what
he was looking at out the windows, and he quietly replied, "Nothing." His eyes went back to
the road in front of him.

After a few minutes, I looked over at my husband and noticed a tear running down his cheek.
I asked him what was wrong. This time he told me, "I was just thinking about Papa and a
story he used to tell me." Of course, if it had to do with Papa I needed to know the story, so
I asked him to share it with me.

He said, "When I was about 3 years old, Papa took me out in the backyard and told me that
the Pine trees know when it is Easter."

I had no idea what he meant by that, so I pressed him for more information. He continued on...
"The Pine trees start their new growth in the weeks before Easter -- if you look at the tops of
the Pine trees two weeks before, you will see the yellow shoots. As the days get closer to
Easter Sunday, the tallest shoot will branch off and form a cross. By the time Easter Sunday
comes around, you will see that most of the Pine trees will have small yellow crosses on the
tallest shoots."

I turned to look out the window and I couldn't believe my eyes. It was a week before Easter,
and you could see all the trees with the tall yellow shoots stretching to Heaven.

The tallest ones shone in the sunlight like rows of tiny golden crosses.

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About the author: Michelle Barg is a secretive writer, recently venturing out to offer her short
stories to the public. She lives with her husband, two young daughters, and Doxie in Central
FL. She lives at the Little League softball fields and enjoys Girl Scouts with her daughters.
If you would like to see more of her stories, drop a note to [email protected] and
encourage her to bring more of her stories out of the closet.
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QUOTE FROM LESSER KNOWN PEOPLE

“I want more broccoli!” -- chorus heard from the Oliver boys at the dinner table.

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FAMILY LOVE MOMENT

___________________________________________________ LOVE, JENNIFER I. OLIVER AND FAMILY [email protected] When you are born, you cry and everyone is happy. So live your life in such a way that when you die, everyone cries and you are happy. - Unknown _________________________________________________________ This e-mail may be forwarded in its entirety, but first ask the writer for permission before forwarding. Thank you for extending this courtesy! Ü ________________________________________________________ SUBMIT STORY, QUOTE, OR FAMILY LOVE MOMENT: http://www.geocities.com/jenniferioliver2001/submission.htm FEEDBACK: [email protected] _________________________________________________________