I AM GOING TO SAN DIEGO!

I am just super excited to jet off to San Diego! I will be working very hard to make this up to my husband for being so awesome and letting me go see two of my best friends! Well it is late and I need to go to bed. Please enjoy my stories. One of the really took a lot out of me.

16 March 2014

Thank You For Your Service

They turned and hurried back down the steps. Diane watched her children run around the house with pure joy just tearing through their bodies. The kids, a boy named Zachery and a girl named Alice, were waiting impatiently for their dad to get home. Diane was getting impatient as well. Her husband, Nathan, was supposed to be home a half hour ago and her children were not easing her worries. She thought about calling him but knew his work as a police officer kept him after hours sometimes. She had sent him a text earlier I love you my dearest. The kids can't wait for you to come home and play with them.

Diane was getting ready to call her sister to keep her mind busy when there was a knock at the door. The kids went blazing through the hall to the door. Sometimes Nathan liked to surprise them with toys at the door so she didn't think to go answer a knock.

“Hi Zach. Hi Alice. Officer Baker is going to take you to play, where is your mommy?” Diane's heart stopped. She calmly put down her phone without dialing and walked into the front room to see Baker and Officer Murphy in her doorway. Her husband's best friends. Murphy took her by the arm and walked her to a chair.

“Please tell me you aren't here for what I think you are here for?” pleaded Diane.

“Diane, I..” Murphy's voice cracked. His best friend was dead and now he had to tell the great man's wife, “I am so sorry Diane. He left his shift and was really happy to get home. We had a rough day with some gang members. He wanted to go get you flowers and get the kids some treats. He was shot and killed walking out of the store. He never saw it coming and he died instantly with a smile on his face.”

Words could not come to her mouth. Her face turned bright red. Her eyes stung as tears brimmed her eyelids. Her knuckles were ghost white from clutching Murphy's hands. She felt like someone had just punched her full force in the gut. She ran to the trash and threw up. This is not real. This is not happening. He was here this morning. This isn't real. She thought so much she could not even process her pain and anger.

“Who did this to Nathan? Who killed my husband?” the words were filled with grief and hate.

“I don't know exactly what his name is but he is related to a gang member we took in this morning. An off duty officer shot the gun from his hand and apprehended him. He is sitting in a cell as we speak,” Murphy's heart was broken. Diane was like a sister to him and now he gave her the worst news of her life.

“Thank you Dave. I need to talk to my kids about this. Can you please call my sister to come over?” Diane was simply in shock. She sat in the chair, not saying a word. She waited until her sister got there and the officers left before she told her children. The pain and heartbreak was unbearable. They all laid in bed and held each other until everyone fell asleep from pure exhaustion over crying.

The next couple days were a blur for Diane, luckily her sister Becky was there to help. She fed everyone, got everyone showered and dressed, she took care of all of the needs for Nathan's funeral. Becky's husband was also an officer and she knew that her sister's pain was something she could have gone through herself.

On the day of the funeral, Dave Murphy took Diane to see her husband before the service started. When she saw him she let out a little chuckle. He was smiling. He looked so peaceful. He looked like his last thoughts were about herself and their beautiful little babies. She kissed his cheek and took Murphy's arm to be walked to the front of the church. There wasn't even standing room in the church. All of his fellow police officers were there, all of his army buddies were there, everyone they loved showed up to give their respect.

The entire service went by without Diane realizing it had happened. She couldn't even cry anymore and she knew Dave's arm had to be getting tired from having to hold her up so much. They made their was to the cemetery to lay her greatest love to rest. She found out later that he died holding his phone. He was looking at the message she had sent him. He died thinking of her and that made her happy. He was happy when he passed and that is all that mattered to her.

They had their white roses to place on his casket. A stranger, someone who loved her husband, probably a kid he helped at some point, walked up to Diane and shook her hand.

“Mrs. Taylor, thank you for your husband's service,” she smiled and hugged this nameless young man. His kindness was much appreciated. She walked with her children to their father and placed their roses.

“Thank you daddy for your service. I will take care of mommy and sissy for you I promise. I love you daddy,” said Zachery, the now stoic 7 year old. Diane knew her heart would never be the same but the words of her young son made her realize that her husband would never be gone from them for good.

17 March 2014

Seamus the Leprechaun

Seamus was the most mischievous leprechaun in the sunny hills of Ireland. He liked to set out false four leaf clovers that would turn into moldy mushrooms when they were touched. He would make people believe they saw the end of a rainbow with a pot of gold. When someone would try to take the gold it would turn into a pile of grass. Seamus got great joy out of tricking unsuspecting Irish folk.

One day, Seamus saw the most perfect little child to prank. She was a little girl from a nearby village with the greenest eyes, most perfect freckles, and brightest red hair. He loved tricking the children the most because they were so gullible. He set out a four leaf clover and waited.

“A four leaf clover! How pretty!” said the little girl as she skipped off.

“Hey! Why didn't you pick that?” asked Seamus.

“A leprechaun! Hello sir, I left it alone because when you pick a plant, you kill it. I don't want to ruin something so lucky and so beautiful,” replied the little girl. Seamus was shocked. He had never seen someone so frank and gentle. Most people tore things from the ground as greedily as they could, that is why he loved tricking them.

Seamus chatted with the little girl for a bit and then they said their goodbyes. She was so pure, so gentle, so kind, so wonderful! She changed him. She made him want to do nice things. From that day froward, Seamus wanted to make people happy. He would plant flowers in the yards of the elderly who couldn't garden anymore. He left gold coins, real gold coins, on the doorsteps of those who needed a little help. He skipped through the green hills of Ireland spreading happiness and joy to all he could see.