A LOVE THAT LASTS FOREVER

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     crossorigin="anonymous"></script> Beth could kick herself. She had bad knees. The ice spilled on the floor, and she would have to kneel down to pick it up. Other than that, her day seemed to be pleasant. Her occupation was creating pottery for her shop in downtown Manchester. Today was a beautiful day. It was a day that was not hot. Her kiln always seemed to bring too much heat to a summer day. When one of her customers placed a huge order, Beth began her work early. The event for the pottery was still far off, but this way she would avoid the exhausting heat.

Once Beth finished her pottery work for the day, she decided to nap. Last night was restless for her, partly because of stress. She was restless about her customers’ huge order. She was excited about the work, yet nervous about a deadline. Before her nap, Beth grabbed the latest book by her favorite author, which was on the bookshelf. She lived in a cozy cottage by herself. She had been married, but her husband passed away at an old age. Yes, they were older, but they never had kids. Her late husband, Jim, was a co-owner of the pottery store. When he passed, she decided to continue their business. Mainly because she wanted to stay busy. Beth would usually wrap up in a warm blanket on her bed when she settled down for a nap. She dreamed of relaxing her head on a lion’s belly while she read. After reading several chapters of legends and myths in her favorite genre of folklore, she drifted off to sleep.

When Beth was approached with an opportunity to make pottery for a homeless shelter, she was a wee bit anxious. It wasn’t about the money. She could just picture the mirth of the owners of the shelter as they shared humorous stories. The stories were about how they opened up the shelter and prepared a place for people to come to for a hot meal of soup and a warm bed to sleep in. A place that was off the streets. She recalled a funny story they told her about how they would play duck, duck, goose in the early days. One teenager would be on one side of a dirty window while the other one would surprise them after cleaning the murk from the glass. The thing that warmed Beth’s heart the most was that the girls were doing this out of the goodness of their hearts. They loved life. Catherine and Casey thought Beth’s pottery would be the best thing to nourish hungry bellies. Beth was amazed at the ways the young girls planned to nurture those who had nothing but the shelter for support. There was still good in this world.

The girls were open when Beth suggested a girls’ day at her house. After so much work, they needed to be nurtured themselves. When they arrived, Casey noticed the antique jewelry box that sat on the bookshelf. Catherine and Casey decided to ask Beth if they could peek inside. They both got up from the couch, and before they gazed at the contents of the jewelry box, they made sure Beth didn’t need any help in the kitchen. With the aroma of beef stew drifting in the air, the girls surveyed a beautiful, opaque black onyx ring with a small diamond. Upon further observation, they sifted through the jewelry and found the most beautiful opal necklace shaped like a heart. Beth finished prepping the meal and was walking into the den to let them know. She smiled inside and out when she saw the necklace in Casey’s hands. She recalled the day her late husband gave her the necklace. It was the day of his deployment, as a promise to come back to her a year later. This necklace was a testament to her husband’s true love and devotion. This love was true. It was Forever and Always