The Locket (A short story)

THE LOCKET

(The following is a short fiction story I wrote, loosely based on Todd's and my life.)

    She could hardly wait, to get the package open, but she restrained herself and carefully removed the Christmas wrapping paper.  The box was small, and her heart was racing, thinking of all the special things that come in small packages.  When the last bit of paper was removed, she slowly opened the box, hoping to find that diamond ring, and maybe a marriage proposal, but as the lid came off, she found a small gold book-shaped locket, on a golden chain.  Her heart sank, but she lifted her head, and smiled at the giver.

   "Open it up," he said, with anticipation in his voice.  She opened the small little book, and found carefully put in each side of the locket, two pictures; one of her, and one of him.  "Oh how sweet!" she exclaimed, and this time really meaning it.  She thought of how much work he must have done, searching for just the right picture and then carefully putting it into this tiny book.  He'd never been one for expensive gifts, so she knew the thought into this one was great.  "I love it," she proclaimed, and really meaning it, as tears began to form in the corner of her eyes.

   "I was hoping you would, " he shyly said, "Cause right now there's a picture of us each individually, but I hope that someday, there will be a picture of us together, you in a pretty white dress and me in a suit."  He was nervously reaching into his pocket and pulling out a smaller box, and as he held it in his shaking hand, he dropped to his knees and continued, "You see, our lives are separate now, and the story is just beginning, but I'd was wondering if you'd like to continue to write the story of our lives together forever."  He opened the small box, and enclosed, was the diamond ring she had so hoped for.  It was small, but sparkled with just as much dazzle as a one carat diamond.  

   With tears in her eyes, she said, "Yes, I want to write my life story with you, we'll be together till we're old and gray, and the pages in our book is full of our life together.  Yes, yes, yes!!"  She flung herself into his arms and they both hugged and cried, knowing there was soon to be a new story written of their lives together.

    Six months later, she came down the aisle at the church in that long white dress, and he looked so handsome in that white tuxedo, although maybe a little bit uncomfortable.  Today they would write the first page of their story together, it was filled with laughter and tears of joy.  They knew this was going to be a best seller.

    On their first month anniversary, he presented her with a tiny little picture to put in the locket,  no longer two separate pictues, but one.  They both smiled as they put the wedding picture in the locket and he hung it around her neck again.  They were one, the story was getting so good.

    Each year on their anniversary, she tried to make sure they took a picture of them together.  She'd place it across from the wedding picture in the other little 'frame' in the locket.  When the children began coming, she'd replace it every year with a family picture.  The story was growing, and sometimes the pages were stained with peanut butter and jelly finger prints.  It really didn't matter, cause the finger prints could be washed off, but they really just made the story stick together all the more.  Before they knew it, the kids had left home and now the yearly picture was just the two of them together again, but they were still young and had lots more story to write in this book together.

   Neither of them planned it, nor did they expect it to happen, but tragedy struck.  Their story cut short and when the anniversary came, instead of their yearly picture, she sat weeping by a casket. The locket hung around her neck, with last years anniversary picture in it, and of course their long faded wedding picture.   Their story was over, but the love never ends, always remember by her and her little golden book-shaped locket.

What I've learned from my kids

(Kristi and Philip ready for take off at the Oympic Training Center)

   All though life, we're learning, education doesn't stop at a high school graduation, it's actually just beginning.  Sometimes, I've been surprised who I've learned from and what I've learned from them.  My children for one, are ones I've learned a lot from.  Even when they were small children, I remember learning lessons in patience, perseverance, prayer, unconditional love and consistency.  As they've grown older, I feel I've continued to learn from them, as I hope they still learn from me too.

   As my children have stepped into adulthood, I've been amazed at how God has worked in their lives and the things they've learned and have in turn shared with me.  It was while in Colorado this past month, that Philip shared something with me that so blessed me, and I've learned so much from it.

   We were talking about the times in our lives when we feel we've failed, that Philip made this awesome statement. "There's really only winning and learning in life.  If you've failed, it just means you never learned from your mistakes.  If you've learned from the mistakes, then it's not a failure, you've grown."  The more I thought on that, the more I liked it and believe it is true.    We all make mistakes, if we didn't we wouldn't be human.  There was only one perfect man and his name was Jesus.  The rest of us are VERY human and make mistakes consistantly, but that doesn't mean we're failures.  Like Philip said we can learn from those mistakes and turn a failure into a learning situation and gain from it, making it a win.

   Kristi and I were discussing this on the way to a wedding this past weekend in South Dakota.  I asked her, in light of what Philip said, what have you learned in all that we went through in the past couple of years. (Not that it was a failure or a mistake, just a VERY hard time.)  She said, "I learned, we can do anything."  I asked, "How or why do you come to that conlusion?"  Kristi replied, "If we can survive Dad's dementia, and all we went through, there isn't anything we can't do."  Wow! What an attitude!  In a situation that could make a lot of kids bitter and angry, she's using it as a spring board, to knowing God can get us through anything. 

    I learned from my kids, what the Bible has said for a very long time; "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." Phil 4:13