Falling In Love Again

Quiet came after a long time of laughter. It was settled between the two of them that there was love there. They didn't need to tell each other, it was just known to both. People in the restaurant looked on in bewilderment at the mutual interest these two shared. It was a solid, pure love. Everyone could see it.

This couple had adventure and enthrallment in their relationship. I believe it was everyone's opinion that this was their first date. The couple could look at each other as if it was the first time they realized they were in love. The photographer in the restaurant approached them.

"Excuse me." The photographer said softly, "would you mind if I took a picture of the both of you for our wall of couples?" The man looked at the woman with a smile, and then looked back at the photographer.

"Yes, of course." He said. The photographer snapped a picture and stood back smiling.

"If you don't mind me saying, the two of you are quite a dazzling couple. Is this your first date?" The woman let out a soft laugh and glanced at the man across from her.

"You could say that, I suppose." She paused and put her hand in his, "At least, it always feels like that first date we had 41 years ago." She blushed as her husband smiled at her.

The photographer, smiling from ear to ear, slowly backed away, leaving the couple alone.

"Eleanor, you look beautiful tonight." The man said to his wife squeezing her hand slightly. She blushed even more.

"You always know how to make me smile, John." They gazed into each others eyes again, and then let out another laugh. This was their 40th anniversary. They had been married all 40 years, staying faithful to each other through it all. They had 5 children, 14 grandchildren, and 3 great grandchildren. They had seen the best and the worst in it all. And yet - they could look at each other with that same fire they both shared on their first date 41 years before.

There was a young couple sitting close by watching Eleanor and John interact. It was their 2nd year anniversary, and they were struggling in their relationship. The husband thought it would be a good idea to get out of the house and have a nice evening with his wife. He thought maybe it would bring some healing to their relationship for them to remember why they were together. He had no idea the impact this older couple would have on them, and the change they would go through over the next few months because of that night.

I left my heart back in Queen City

Writing - It's what I do when I can't make sense of my own world. I take my frustrations, my worries, my wonders, my adventures, my imagination to the paper. It all flows through my fingers to the keys on my typewriter. It's my heart. I left a very big part of who I am at home. The very thing I used when I didn't have any explanation, was left in a box, tucked away for Lord knows how long while I travel away to school. I miss my heart. I miss that big lug of keys. My typewriter.

my secret escape

The keys are smooth, and the room is silent. I sit at my cluttered desk everyday with a new piece of paper in the typewriter. I make an attempt to write something new; something original. It doesn't always come out the way I hope, but it comes out in slow, soft ways that reflect who I am. I have never met anyone who takes this much pleasure in a typewriter. For me, it isn't just a writing tool, it's a way to express myself. I love the first key I press; the first sound that breaks through the silence in my room. The written word comes alive when I type. The books seem to shout their stories, and the whole of my imagination gets typed up on one solitary piece of paper. Words dance around the room, almost like a tune, and I can see each word paving the way for the next. Suddenly, I stop. The page is full, and my mind is spent. This is my solitude.

Baby Shoes - Page 2

3 Months Earlier:

Marla had picked the table she had always sat at for lunch. Today wasn't going to be any different. She had made up her mind that even though her and Christopher were now "an item" she wouldn't ditch her friends for him. She sat waiting for Chrissy and picked at her salad.
"Marla!" Chrissy called from across the cafeteria. She ran over to the table where Marla was sitting and pulled up a chair next to her. "So", Chrissy said with a smile, "how was it?" Marla tried to hide the smile, but couldn't.
"What do you mean?" She asked.
"Oh please. Don't try that. I know what happened with you and Christopher. So, tell me" she got closer, "how was it!?" Marla shrugged.
"It was alright." Marla replied. Chrissy's jaw dropped and she stared at Marla for a whole minute. "Oh okay. It was amazing! I think...I think I love him." Marla was ecstatic. Chrissy had never seen her smile so much.
"Oh my God!" Chrissy paused "Oh...my...GOD! Seriously? I'm so happy for you! I still can't believe YOU got laid before ME. How ridiculous is that?" Chrissy laughed at herself, and then saw that Marla wasn't laughing.
"Gee thanks, Chrissy."
"Oh. I didn't mean it like that. You're very desirable...in your own suzy homemaker way. But I mean, I'm the ditsy one. I'm the one the guys like." Marla laughed out loud.
"I'm sorry, but did you just call yourself ditsy??" Marla asked. Chrissy shrugged.
"Yeah, so what. At least I know the guys like it." Chrissy took a bite of her pizza and then dropped it on her plate. She turned to Marla with a wild look and grabbed her shoulders.
"Oh my God, Marla. Did you guys...use protection?" She asked with a mouth full of food.
"Who do you think I am, Chrissy?" Marla replied, "I'm always careful. He used something. Don't worry."
"Oh okay. Good. The LAST thing you need is some baby ruining your life. I mean, but that's a risk you took." Chrissy said taking another bite of pizza. Marla picked at her salad. "But we both know you won't get pregnant. I mean, you used protection."

Lilly's Letter, Page 1

I have to admit, I had never felt this way about woman before. She had a...a grace. Before I had ever spoken to her, I only watched her from a distance. I was in-thralled by the way she spoke with people. She always used a tenderness with them; knowing exactly what they needed from her. If they needed her joy, she gave it. If they needed her strength, she gave it. I needed to talk to her; I needed to be with her. So I walked up to her; just like that. I smiled at her, introduced myself, and I knew nothing would be the same.

I remember one night she was looking for a ride home, and I quickly rose to the occasion. I wanted to offer her something; anything. Even if it was only a ride. When I offered it, she looked surprised, and then her features softened and she smiled at me. Oh man...that smile; I could have had love stamped on my forehead. I lead her to my car, and she got in. "Thank you, David." She said to me. To have her thankful to me was something I learned I would want more of in the future. "No problem, Lilly. I couldn't leave you stranded at the park." So we set off.

She told me about her family, her passions, her excitements. It made me want to be a man even more. She was a real woman. She knew who she was, where she came from, and who she belonged to. She knew her identity. And because of that, being with her, I could be a man when she needed me to be. If you've never looked into the eyes of a real woman who offers love so gently, then you've never experienced that feeling of warmth; like you're excepted for who you are. She excepted me, and encouraged me to give strength. It was a friendship I could never imagine letting go. Sadly, one day, I would have to let her go.

Baby Shoes - Page 1

Wrapping her arms around her waste was something she did regularly, but today she seemed to be holding herself tighter than before; something she did when she felt unsafe. Marla couldn't understand why she had stopped in her tracks just moments before reaching the steps to the clinic. She had already made up her mind, prepared herself for the worst, and created her alibi for why she would be late from school.

As she stood in the snow she thought back to what Christopher had told her. "This is the right thing to do. We wouldn't be able to take care of it anyway. It would ruin our lives, make our parents hate us, and eventually we would hate each other." She had to believe him. She loved him. The snow wasn't what made her shake, though. Her heart beat faster, and her face was white. She took in a deep sigh and climbed the steps to the abortion clinic. She had no choice. When she reached the door, she said out loud "I'm sorry, baby." She took the handle and walked inside.

A song from the typewriter

Hello. My initials are SEM at the present time, but you can call me Mc G (pronounced Mic Jee). Here is a bit about me: I am a young woman seeking after the heart of my Lover, Jesus. He is the One I love now and forever. He instills in me the strength to go through my rough and unscheduled days. He gave me my passion; my passion for writing. Currently, I do all of my writing on my typewriter in my bedroom. I can sit for hours and type. It sounds like a song to me (I actually enjoy humming while I write, and getting into a typing rhythm...I know, weird). I have never actually shown any of my real writing to anyone. Sure, my stories I wrote in high school were seen be my teacher and occassionally my parents, but that was it. I have never displayed my personal writings to anyone. However, I thought it would be a good time for me to display some of it to you - the reader - in an effort to recieve feed back. Please, leave say whatever you would like. I am not afraid to hear your thoughts (good or bad; hate or love). Lay it on me.