Guest guest Posted July 20, 2004 Report Share Posted July 20, 2004 > > Wouldn't it be fun to have a yellow shirt? > > > > The Yellow Shirt ........ > > > > > > The baggy yellow shirt had long sleeves, four extra-large pockets > > trimmed in black thread and snaps up the front. It was faded from years > > of wear, but still in decent shape. I found it in 1963 when I was home > > from college on Christmas break, rummaging through bags of clothes Mom > > intended to give away. > > > > " You're not taking that old thing, are you? " Mom said when she saw me > > packing the yellow shirt. " I wore that when I was pregnant with your > > brother in 1954! " > > > > " It's just the thing to wear over my clothes during art class, Mom. > > Thanks! " > > > > I slipped it into my suitcase before she could object. > > > > The yellow shirt became a part of my college wardrobe. I loved it. > > After graduation, I wore the shirt the day I moved into my new apartment > > and on Saturday mornings when I cleaned. > > > > The next year, I married. When I became pregnant, I wore the yellow > > shirt during big-belly days. I missed Mom and the rest of my family, > > since we were in Colorado and they were in Illinois. But that shirt > > helped. I smiled, remembering that Mother had worn it when she was > > pregnant, 15 years earlier. > > > > That Christmas, mindful of the warm feelings the shirt had given me, I > > patched one elbow, wrapped it in holiday paper and sent it to Mom. When > > Mom wrote to thank me for her " real " gifts, she said the yellow shirt > > was lovely. She never mentioned it again. > > > > The next year, my husband, daughter and I stopped at Mom and Dad's to > > pick up some furniture. Days later, when we uncrated the kitchen table, > > I noticed something yellow taped to its bottom. The shirt! > > > > And so the pattern was set. > > > > On our next visit home, I secretly placed the shirt under Mom and Dad's > > mattress. I don't know how long it took for her to find it, but almost > > two years passed before I discovered it under the base of our > > living-room floor lamp. The yellow shirt was just what I needed now > > while refinishing furniture. The walnut stains added character. > > > > In 1975 my husband and I divorced. With my three children, I prepared > > to move back to Illinois. As I packed, a deep depression overtook me. I > > wondered if I could make it on my own. I wondered if I would find a > > job. > > > > I paged through the Bible, looking for comfort. In Ephesians, I read, > > " So use every piece of God's armor to resist the enemy whenever he > > attacks, and when it is all over, you will be standing up. " > > > > I tried to picture myself wearing God's armor, but all I saw was the > > stained yellow shirt. Slowly, it dawned on me. Wasn't my mother's love > > a piece of God's armor? My courage was renewed. > > > > Unpacking in our new home, I knew I had to get the shirt back to Mother. > > The next time I visited her, I tucked it in her bottom dresser drawer. > > > > Meanwhile, I found a good job at a radio station. A year later I > > discovered the yellow shirt hidden in a rag bag in my cleaning closet. > > Something new had been added. Embroidered in bright green across the > > breast pocket were the words " I BELONG TO PAT. " > > > > Not to be outdone, I got out my own embroidery materials and added an > > apostrophe and seven more letters. Now the shirt proudly proclaimed, " I > > BELONG TO PAT'S MOTHER. " But I didn't stop there. I zig-zagged all the > > frayed seams, then had a friend mail the shirt in a fancy box to Mom > > from Arlington, VA. We enclosed an official looking letter from " The > > Institute for the Destitute, " announcing that she was the recipient of > > an award for good deeds. I would have given anything to see Mom's face > > when she opened the box. But, of course, she never mentioned it. > > > > Two years later, in 1978, I remarried. The day of our wedding, Harold > > and I put our car in a friend's garage to avoid practical jokers. After > > the wedding, while my husband drove us to our honeymoon suite, I reached > > for a pillow in the car to rest my head. It felt lumpy. I unzipped the > > case and found, wrapped in wedding paper, the yellow shirt. Inside a > > pocket was a note: > > > > " Read 14:27-29. I love you both, Mother. " > > > > That night I paged through the Bible in a hotel room and found the > > verses: > > > > " I am leaving you with a gift: peace of mind and heart. > > And the peace I give isn't fragile like the peace the world gives. So > > don't be troubled or afraid. Remember what I told you: I am going away, > > but I will come back to you again. If you really love me, you will be > > very happy for me, for now I can go to the Father, who is greater than I > > am. I have told you these things before they happen so that when they > > do, you will believe in me. " > > > > The shirt was Mother's final gift. She had known for three months that > > she had terminal Lou Gehrig's disease. Mother died the following year > > at age 57. > > > > I was tempted to send the yellow shirt with her to her grave. But I'm > > glad I didn't, because it is a vivid reminder of the love-filled game > > she and I played for 16 years. Besides, my older daughter is in college > > now, majoring in art. And every art student needs a baggy yellow shirt > > with big pockets. > > > > > > You have 6 minutes.... > > > > There's some mighty fine advice in these words, even if you're not > > superstitious. You will receive good luck within four days of relaying > > this message. > > > > Do not keep this message. > > It must leave your hands in 6 MINUTES. > > > > Otherwise you will get a very unpleasant surprise. This is true, even if > > you are not superstitious, agnostic, or otherwise faith impaired. > > > > ONE. Give people more than they expect and do it cheerfully. > > > > TWO. Marry a man/woman you love to talk to. As you get older, their > > conversational skills will be as Important as any other. > > > > THREE. Don't believe all you hear, spend all you have or sleep all you > > want. > > > > FOUR. When you say, " I love you, " mean it. > > > > FIVE. When you say, " I'm sorry, " look the person in the eye. > > > > SIX. Be engaged at least six months before you get married. > > > > SEVEN. Believe in love at first sight. > > > > EIGHT. Never laugh at anyone's dreams. People who don't have dreams > > don't have much. > > > > NINE. Love deeply and passionately. You might get hurt but it's the only > > way to live life completely. > > > > TEN.. In disagreements, fight fairly. No name calling. > > > > ELEVEN. Don't judge people by their relatives > > > > TWELVE. Talk slowly but think quickly. > > > > THIRTEEN. When someone asks you a question you don't want to answer, > > smile and ask, " Why do you want to know? " > > > > FOURTEEN. Remember that great love and great achievements involve great > > risk. > > > > FIFTEEN. Say " bless you " when you hear someone sneeze. > > > > SIXTEEN. When you lose, don't lose the lesson > > > > SEVENTEEN. Remember the three R's: Respect for self; Respect for others; > > and Responsibility for all your actions. > > > > EIGHTEEN. Don't let a little dispute injure a great friendship. > > > > NINETEEN. When you realize you've made a mistake, take immediate steps > > to correct it. > > > > TWENTY. Smile when picking up the phone. The caller will hear it in your > > voice. > > > > TWENTY-ONE. Spend some time alone. _____________________________________________________________ Sign up for FREE Wildglobe email at http://www.wildglobe.com Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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