The Whistle Blows

Laying there in the quiet peaceful darkness of the early morning hours, just before sunrise, as the birds began chirping their springtime melodies, all was calm.  In the distance I heard the rumble. I first thought it was a plane but, no, I had heard this before, many many times. Then, the distinct sound of the old whistle blowing.  For a moment I was confused.  A train in the city? But yes, there is a railroad close to the airport, which is not to far away from our house. I just lay there, listening to the lonesome sound of the long drawn out whistles, and it took me back in time, to that small little town that I grew up in. I was overcome with a homesickness, and a loneliness that I had never felt. Once again memories of days gone by................

In my young days families would gather at our house ever so often. All of the cousins, probably at least 12 or 15 of us, would go walking around town and it always ended with a hike down the railroad tracks. Like ducks in a row trying to stay balanced on the rails. Or skipping in between the rails on the boardwalk, as we called it. Laying rocks on the tracks to see if the train would smash them to pieces. Just being together, having fun and enjoying life. Many times we would have to jump off the tracks and let a Cotton Belt train go past us.  So big and powerful. The rumble would almost make my heart jump in my chest. Being raised in a town that had a busy railway in its midst, we were taught at a very young age that trains deserved respect, and not get to close to one that was passing by. Looking back, it almost gives me anxiety to think how close to it some of us probably were.

I lived in that small railroad town most of my life. Raised my children there, and taught them the dangers of the trains, just as my parents had taught me. I remember many nights of being awaken by the low steady whistle off in the distance, rumbling and screeching as it would make its way down the winding tracks from one end of the county to the other.  It was always such a lonesome sound. Almost like a cry. There were times when it even brought a tear to my eye. Sometimes is was almost  haunting and eerie sounding and would make a chill run down my spine. There were times when it would be so loud I would think it might be coming through the middle of our house.

Not to long ago we went back to our home town to visit family and had to stop at the crossing to let a train go by.  Again, as it rolled slowly past, hearing the clackity clack of wheels on rail, I was hit with nostalgia as soon as I heard that lonesome whistle blow.

I'm sure that I will probably never live in this small town again, but seeing and hearing this train just added to the memories and love that I have for it.  It is my home town. It is my childhood. It is where I am from. It helped make me who I am today.  It is where my mom and dad are laid to rest.  It is where I have family. It is where I have friends. It is where I owned a business for a decade. It is where a piece of my heart will forever be.

And so hearing that faint whistle blow early this morning brought floods of emotion back to me in a way I haven't felt in a very long time.  I wish I could have just one more day with cousins on a railroad track, not caring about tomorrow. One more day of my dad telling me to be careful and watch for trains. One more day of  my girls learning to drive and cautioning them vehemently about the trains and what could happen if they too did not respect them. The sound of that lonesome whistle is forever etched in my book of memories and I will visit it from time to time as The Whistle Blows.

Best Friends Forever

I stood there in the warm October sun. Numb, staring at the small grave site and the beautiful bouquet of flowers that would soon adorn the top of it.  I saw a son kiss his mother for the last time.  I saw a daughter hold close the urn that held her mother's ashes with a small gesture that simply said "you will forever be in my heart."  I saw a sister kneel, pluck a vibrant flower from the bouquet and place it in the shallow grave. I saw family and friends with tears flowing generously as they held a small handful of sod and gently let it fall. I felt my heart would break into a million pieces. So missed by many, so loved by all, myself included.  All of the emotions that so frequently follows death.  Anger, love, loneliness, peace, fear and the list goes on.  We all felt the same as the person next to us, connected somehow, even with strangers.

As I stood there in the cemetery I couldn't help but take a moment and turn to my right and  look up the road a bit. This cannot be, I have been here before. At this nearly exact place. Such a long time ago. Maybe not in this same circumstance, but in the fact of losing a best friend. This same gut wrenching  sadness. Can I do this again? Can I go on with life as usual? Yet, I knew that I could.  Knew that I would. The irony of it all, the two that I lost, that WE lost, were cousins.

Melba and I were about 7 or 8 years old when her family moved to Bell City. Just a very short distance from where I lived,  across an ally way actually. We had a lot in common, and she made me laugh...hysterically! In a few days we had become fast friends. Best friends. Inseparable nearly from day one. We remained best friends throughout our teen years and into young married life, until one night she was taken from this world way to soon.  Only about 21 years old. Leaving a very young son behind. My heart was crushed. How could this tragedy happen? It was so hard to except and to understand.  One cannot keep from asking the "why's." And now, here I was once again feeling that same loss and anguish as I did on that sad day so many years ago.

Standing there looking up toward her marker, and listening to the final prayer being given by Billie's heartbroken and humble son, I took comfort in knowing that we had lost Melba nearly 40 years ago and she is still very much alive in my heart and memories, I know that Billie will be too. I know that as time passes all of the sadness will turn bittersweet.  I know that as long as I have a sane mind, I will always remember Billie's sense of humor, her laugh, that beautiful alto harmony voice that added so much to our singing. The sincere honest person that she truly was.  I know that I feel very Blessed to have known Melba and Billie and to have been able to call them both my dear friends.  My life would not have been the same without them in it.

Walking back up the old path, I had to stop a moment and look at Melba's gravestone..and just whisper to myself...........".I remember, I will never forget." I glanced back down toward where Billie would lay and whispered again........"always and forever in my heart."

I loved them both so very much.

The Plain Air Ride

Once I heard an old time preacher man say that he had never took an "airplane ride" but that some day he was going to take a "plain air ride." With somewhat of a sense of humor, of course, but the whole entire congregation knew exactly what he was talking about.

I thought about that this past weekend when Don and I took our very first airplane ride ever to our daughters' wedding in Florida.  Excited would be an understatement of all the emotions I was feeling. Finally the day came, and filled with anticipation I scurried unto the plane with only one thought in my mind..."I have to get a window seat or I am going to cry right here in front of all these people."  It was a wasted worry, there were plenty of window seats, as my daughter, the travel agent, assured me there would be.  As we left the ground and started the lift off, I could actually feel my heart flutter inside my chest.  The stewardess on the intercom informed us that we were headed for a height of about 37,000 feet.. that is about 7 1/2 miles high..Oh, My!

 As, I looked out the window at the clouds floating along below me, I was overwhelmed with the awesomeness of just how big and powerful God really is. I have always heard that we were like grains of sand...but being 7 miles high and looking down just kind of put that all in perspective.  We are truly grains of sand in this ginormous world.

Looking out the tiny window, the clouds looked as if they were giant balls of cotton and I was sure that if the need arose, I could jump on one and it would catch me and hold me in its pillowy softness. I imagined how fun it would be just to jump from one cloud to the next. Or just lay there and  bask in the bright sunshine for a while. I felt as if I were a child again experiencing awesomeness for the very first time.

While focusing on those beautiful white orbs, I thought about and old Hoppers song.  Goes like this:

"Steppin' on the clouds, we'll see Jesus, rise to meet him in the air,
Steppin' on the clouds, he will greet us, oh, the joy together we'll share.
I'm gonna leave this world behind me, goin' where the devil can not find me
 I'm goin higher, higher, higher, Steppin' on the clouds.

I realize also that this little piece of what was pure delightment to me, is also what a lot of people take for granted. Their jobs require or demand that they fly often, so I am supposing they just get used to it, like riding in a car, or on a bus. To most, it is not a big deal.  But as I looked around me and saw the girl next to us was napping, my thought was "how on earth can you nap?"  The man across the isle was working on his computer..."are you kidding me?"  With clouds like this beneath us?" Do they not realize that they are missing God's handiwork that is right here in their midst? I seriously think that a lot times we miss out on blessings by just not taking a moment to see, smell, hear, and touch the mighty works of God. We just need to (as the old saying goes) stop and smell the roses.

I had these same emotions as I stood on the nearly pure white sand of Santa Rosa Beach. The gulf stretched out in front of me with waves lapping at my feet..such total power and awesomeness...Just had to take a moment and take a deep breath and thank God for all the beauty and magnificence that he created.  Once again, I am sure those that live there or go there often take it for granted too. Maybe it is only us Inland people that really appreciate that kind of awesome beauty, or maybe not.

I don't know if I will ever get the chance to fly any where else in this life time.  Or even to stand on the snow white beaches, I hope that I do at some point.  I always told everyone that flying in a plane was in the number one spot on my bucket list.  Well, I can cross that baby off now.  The image of those clouds are forever etched in my mind. If I were an artist, I would paint a picture of it. Although I am sure that a painting would never compare to seeing it all in real life.  If I never get to fly again, one thing that I know for sure is that when this life is over, and God calls me home,  I will indeed take a "Plain air ride" just like that ole preacher man did several years ago.

The ole preacher man was none other than Brother Sydney Razor..Assembly of God minister. My pastor, and mentor when I was a kid.  Don and I attended his church the first few years of our marriage, and he preached my dad's funeral.  A very special man of God that I loved dearly. Many years ago he did indeed take his "Plain Air Ride".  I have no doubt he is now enjoying all of the breathtaking beauty of Heaven itself.

A big thank you to both of our girls..April and Marissa for making this dream come true for Dad and me. The wedding was simple, elegant, and beautiful. But the bride was even more so.  Just the icing and whip cream to this piece of cake.  Love you both and really do appreciate all that you do for Dad and I.

This Bleeding Heart

Eagerly I wait for Spring to arrive,
Each day I check, "are you still alive"?
Searching the ground for one tiny sprout,
on hands and knees,  I crawl about.

Then one day the searching ends,
"There you are" all new again.
Tender, fragile, all clothed in green
I gaze at your beauty, so serene.

Spring rains come, the heavens part,
bringing forth to you one tiny heart.
Bleeding drops of different hues,
I look at this flower, I think of you.

From Heaven above, to this special place,
a sweet gentle kiss upon my face.
Each year we will visit, we will never part,
as I wait the arrival of This Bleeding Heart.

          written by:  Debbi Hendrix



Once again, this little Bleeding Heart flower breaks forth from the ground.  It is always the first thing I look for in the spring. This very flower belonged to my mom.  She had it in front of her apartment for several years..When she got sick and could no longer live by herself, she asked me to dig her Bleeding Heart up and take it to my house..I did without hesitation.

This flower has had many homes since then...She was first in my front yard at Bell City..when our house caught fire and we moved, I dug it up and put it in a pot..We lived in an apartment for a while, so she lived in a pot...then we bought a house in Dexter and she was once again planted in the ground and thrived very abundantly.  When we sold that house and moved to the city, we were once again in an apartment, and she lived in a pot again, then I took her to my daughters house and she lived in her back yard for a couple years. When we bought this house that we live in now, she was dug up once again and placed where she is now...here she will stay. (unless we ever move again, of course)...She is one tough, sturdy, dependable flower, which would also describe my mom!

When I see those first small cracks in the ground in the early spring, and a few little green twigs waving up at me, I have a joy unspeakable down deep in my soul.  It is like an angel kiss that is sweet and tender. A smile from Heaven.  In a couple of weeks she will have little pinkish red hearts hanging all over her...It is like my mom saying to me, "I am still here, I am still close to you, and here is my heart." Just like with Sally (the vine) I love this little flower so very much. Each time I look at it I think of my mom, and it seems to bring a little piece of her back to me.  I will forever and ever cherish This Bleeding Heart, and just as with Sally, I will do everything within my power to keep them both alive and thriving.  Can't wait to see it bloom again this year. Kisses from heaven just to me.

Just An Old Pair Of Shoes

I stood there in the middle of the isle looking at all of the different kinds and sizes, searching for this one specific kind, in which there were none.  Again! It wasn't the first time that I had looked for this one certain style.  But unfortunately, the day had finally come, I had put it off just as long as I could.  I had no choice...it was time to buy another pair of black flat shoes.

While my husband stood at the end of the isle and patiently waited for me to try on at least a half dozen pair, he made a few comments as to which ones he liked best. I didn't know that it would be this hard. As I looked down at my feet, I couldn't help the tears that began to form in my eyes...trying hard to hold back all of the emotions that was connected to this old ragged pair of shoes that I had worn into the store.  I SO wish they were new again... I wish that I could buy them all over again just like it was the day I actually came upon them..nearly 18 years ago. 

It was another typical Saturday afternoon when my mom called as she so often did, and wanted to go to Walmarts (yes, with an 's').  She wanted to buy her another pair of black shoes because hers' was   'just about to wear out.'  As we enter the store she proceeds straight to the shoe area and locates her favorite shoes.  I am sure she told me at least a dozen times just how comfortable those black shoes were that she had on her feet, and that she was going to buy her another pair just like them. Actually this would be her third pair. Same color. Same style. Same size. She insisted that I try a pair on too, and so to make her happy, I did.  Surprisingly they were actually pretty comfortable.. She says to me,  "just put them in the cart, I'm gonna buy you a pair too." Well, we argued over this idea, because there was no way I was gonna let her buy me a pair of shoes.. cheap or not!.. I told her, "No, you put yours in the cart and I will buy you a pair." ... I won!  I would not have thought it at the time, but those cheap ole Walmart (s) shoes quickly became my favorite pair... I wore them to church, to work, to shop, everywhere I went.  Yes, my mother was right again... those were the most comfortable shoes I have ever owned.  I can honestly say that I got way more than my money's worth on that buy!

So here I stood, looking down at the old, dirty, worn out shoes on my feet, thinking about the twinkle in my mother's eyes at the thought of getting herself a new pair, and the feisty little attitude she had at wanting to buy some for me. I was so overcome with emotion.. thinking to myself, "this is silly, they are just an old pair of shoes," but I couldn't shake it... in the check out line I finally got myself together enough to share with my husband that those old shoes were special to me because I had gotten them on one of the many shopping sprees with my mom and she picked them out.

Even though I have looked at Walmart (s) several times in the last year or so to see if they still had those same shoes, I have never been able to find any.  I guess they are out of style these days. And yes, like my mom, I would have bought another pair just like them. Same color. Same style. Same size. 

I like my new shoes well enough I guess, although they really are not as comfortable as these old ones. I will continue to wear my old black fake leather shoes here around the house and out in the yard until they no longer have a sole. Even though these old shoes took me to church, and to the nursing home to visit my mother years later, and to all the special places that I have visited with my family and friends, to me they still have soul. They will serve me a couple more years as I plant my flowers and tend to my little garden, for those are the places that I find to be more surreal these days. There is just something about when they are on my feet that brings a bit of my mother back to me. To most people they are Just An Old Pair of Shoes, but to me they are so much more....they are a very precious memory embedded in my heart....and as all the other memories... I will cherish them forever ....................

I Turn Around

Jumping rope, and riding bikes,
hide-n- go seek
and taking long hikes.
Climbing rocks and London
bridges falling down,
and then it seems,
 I turn around.

Driving cars, music and friends
knowing these days,
could never end.
Carefree and reckless and
infinity bound, and then
you see,
I turn around.

"I do" I said, with a blush
on my face. Nervous and shy
and full of grace.
Beginning a new life,
both feet on the ground,
then again,
I turn around.

Blessed, sweetness,
from heaven above, heart
over flowing, full of love.
Two baby girls, abundantly bound
once again,
I turn around.

Grand babies now,
oh what joys, two sweet girls,
and three little boys.  The sixth
tiny Angel, made no sound, and
sadly, once more,
I turn around.

Lines and wrinkles
now cover my face, I have been
blessed, I've had a good race.
Gray hair, arthritis, spots of brown
and yes, again
I turn around.

Think of me
with laughter and smiles,
patience please, in my last miles.
Jesus, heaven,
a shiny new crown,
Sending hugs and love,
as I last turn around.


Written by: Debbi Hendrix

Written on Christmas Day 2012.  Dedicated to my husband, children, and grand children.

Just 'Ole' Friends, Me and Facebook

I sit here at the computer reminiscing about days gone by, as I so often do these days.  Thinking back to my childhood.  Hot lazy summer days mixed in with a game of baseball, riding bikes, climbing the rocks, or a blanket under a tree.  Radio blaring for all the neighbors to hear. An ice cold Mountain Dew......


The thought never crossed my mind that someday we would all go our separate ways and all of these friends and cousins, would no longer be in my everyday life.  After all we were inseparable...we were alive and living life to its fullest..and one day at a time.


And then like a vapor...we are all grown..leaving home..starting families of our own.  Moving to different cities and towns, and states and countries. Some going to college..some swearing in to Uncle Sam...and life goes on.  We work, we make new friends, we have children watch them grow into adults and begin having children of their own...and then before you know what happened..... AAAAHHHH how sweet! THE GOLDEN YEARS!!!  Bah Humbug! That's all I got to say about that!


Then all of a sudden out of the 'blue clear sky' (Forest Gump)..We are introduced to this new computer thing called Facebook.  Probably been around for quite a while, I am just not real computer literate..so I am a little slow in catching on to these new fangled ways.
But once I got the hang of it, my search was on....and for the first time in many years, I felt like a kid again.  I found cousins...1st, 2nd, and 3rd, cousins... cousins of cousins, and cousins that think they are my cousins... and friends...and more friends, old friends, new friends..People that I haven't seen nor heard from in 40 to 50 years...sad to say.  I was and am in a sort of a Heaven. I can read what all of these people do on a daily basis.. I love hearing about their children and grandchildren.  I love reading what people had for dinner.  I love reading about the weather in whatever city or state you live in. I love seeing pictures of what they all look like now, and what they look like in my memory. Above all it is one of the best prayer chains I have ever seen... If you or someone you love needs prayer.. just post it on Facebook!  Even though I know that some people give Facebook/computer a lot of slack.. I have to say that I Thank the Good Lord for such an invention.  I love hearing from all of my friends and family. I am so thankful that I am able to keep in contact with those that are dear to my heart.

This past week I have been blessed by finding two 'ole' friends that I played with and hung around with when I was a kid through out my teenage years.  Gloria Combs ....and Patricia Huffman.  Gloria's father was a minister at the Assembly of God church and lived next door to my mom and dad.  We used to hang out together a lot after school and in the summer months...ran all over that little small southeast Missouri town.  She was a christian girl, and probably helped to keep me on the straight and narrow in those young years.  I will forever be grateful to her for her influence on me. Gloria and I played a lot of baseball with the neighborhood kids.  Went to a lot of youth rallies at church.. and we like to camp out in her back yard. HA!  Another quilt over the clothesline story.  Only her brother scared the begebeeis out of us one night and I don't know if we ever camped out again after that.. a very precious memory!  
          
Patricia, (aka Patty now) I have wondered for years where she was, and what she was doing.  If she was well and happy, and hoping and praying that someday our paths would cross again.  Pat used to live 2 doors down from my oldest sister, in another small Missouri town.  Anytime I went to visit my sister, whether it was for and hour or a week, I would always head over to Pat's house.. my brother in law would sometimes load all of us kids up in the car and take us swimming to a creek outside of town.  Probably about 10 kids, no seat belts, no life jackets, no sunscreen!  Just plain ole summer fun.  The one real memory I have of Pat and me is laying on a blanket under a tree in her front yard.  Radio blaring to the tune of 'Yummy, Yummy, Yummy, I Got Love in my Tummy".  Talking about what young fellow we thought was cute and who we wanted to marry someday. I am so very thankful to finally find her again.  The irony in it is that she now lives right outside of my home town.  The world is so large, yet so small.  I am thinking a reunion will be in the near future!


From the very first day I became a Facebook member I began my search for these two women.  Literally several times a month I would type in their names and hope I would get a lead... it finally came.. through other peoples pages... that led me to them...  I know that some may think I am too nostalgic, too sentimental, too emotional, but I don't care. I will forever be grateful that I have reconnected with these two and so many others. I just wish I could have a huge reunion and have all of my 'friends' show up!  Wouldn't that be a hoot! 


I know this is not really a story.. but just my thoughts.. but something I just wanted to share.. so to all that read this.. family, friends, old and new... I love you and I am glad that we are friends!