Dusty Roads to the Heart

She rocked back and forth there on the deck as the sun sank lower in the western skies. It had been one of those days that she was so happy to be alive. So happy to let her heart fly free in the warm breeze. She sat there wondering...what was happening to her? She had changed somehow. Oh yes she will forever be a farmers wife. She will always love the feel of wind in her hair, sunshine on her face, raindrops dripping off her nose. She will forever love to sit among the pasture grass on a warm summers night, and watch as the sun turns the western sky to oranges and golds. Or raise her face to let the moonbeams dance all around her, or thrill to the call of the coyote. She will always love the simple country life. She always loved the springtime on the farm. She loved to watch as tiny little buds popped out on a tree limb. She loved to see the pear trees spread their white cloud of blossoms against the dark blue sky. She loved to kneel there in the flower beds, take her hand and wipe...

The phone woke us up. It was sometime around 11:00 at night. Mark stumbled out to the kitchen to answer. "Hello? Oh...okay...I'll be right over!" "What in the world?" I asked as he made his way back to the bedroom. "It's Grandma. She wants me to come over. Grandpa is having some kind of spell," he said pulling on his jeans and grabbing his shirt. "Is it serious?" I asked. "I'm not sure. Grandma has called the ambulance. I'll let you know more when I get home." With that he was gone. I lay there in that empty bed wondering what was happening over at Grandpa's house. I tiptoed to the open window and stood there. After a little while I could hear it. The sirens. My heart hurt. Nothing could be happening to Grandpa. He was suppose to always be here! He and Grandma were just part of our life. It wasn't long when I heard Mark's car turn back into the drive way. I ran to the back door to meet him. ...

I parked my car and slowly got out, looking at the building that has become my happiness. I walk up to the set of closed doors. I punch in the numbers 3 - 4 - 6- *  The doors open and I walk through them into a beautiful new world to me. There were wheelchairs in my new world. There were crippled little hands resting lightly on a blanket covered lap. There were walkers, little stuffed animals, slippers, cute little pillows of different colors and hearing aids. There is a little lady setting in her wheelchair, a little rubber doll all covered in a blanket, held secure to her chest. There is oxygen tanks, and make believe people and make believe little dogs There are little people setting here and there just waiting for someone to come to them and push them into the weekly Bible study. Sunshine streamed in through the big windows, falling on little white heads and beautiful faces, wrinkled with time. As I stood there, just inside that set of doors, my heart filled all up with lov...

The leaves were starting to turn their golden colors, and a little breeze was blowing from the south. Otherwise the skies were a cloudless blue as I stood there on the playground watching the kindergartners run from the swings to the slides. "Would you come down the slide with us Mrs. Bek? Please!" little Sarah asked, pulling on my arm. "Lets go," I said running off with her close behind. Up we climbed until we got to the top. It was one of those that turned around in a circle. The kids loved it. "Mrs. Bek is going down the slide with us!" a bunch of little excited voices hollered. "Okay, who is going first?" I asked looking around me as we stood up there. "I will," Hannah said, pushing a little boy aside. "Oh, don't push, Hannah. We don't want to all fall down those steps do we?" "I want to go down beside Mrs. Bek!" someone hollered. "I'll tell you what, I'll go down with each ...