Jay: Short Stories, Insights, and Lessons from a Life of Hope and Abundance

By Jay Reed

Throughout my adult life I had often been saddled with that empty unsettled feeling of disconnection and a strong desire to go home. A desire to be close with loved ones and familiar settings tugged at me sometimes leading to depression and regret; something was missing in my life that I couldn't quite describe. In these pages a lifetime of thoughts all seeking that answer come together. Memories, Lessons, Wisdom, and the discovery that what was missing in my life and many others are simpler times. The place we have been longing for isn't a place at all, rather it’s a state of mind in which we can cry without regret, smile without guilt, and hope with complete abandon. Jay is a love letter to the lives and events that sculpted that hope filled state of mind in an attempt to share it with the world.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Lulu Publishing Services
• Release date: Sep 23, 2016
• ISBN: 9781483457703

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Jay

Short Stories, Insights, and Lessons from a Life of Hope and Abundance

JAY REED

Copyright © 2016 Jeffrey C Reed.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, stored, or transmitted by any means—whether auditory, graphic, mechanical, or electronic—without written permission of both publisher and author, except in the case of brief excerpts used in critical articles and reviews. Unauthorized reproduction of any part of this work is illegal and is punishable by law.

Scripture taken from the Holy Bible, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. All rights reserved worldwide. Used by permission. NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION® and NIV® are registered trademarks of Biblica, Inc. Use of either trademark for the offering of goods or services requires the prior written consent of Biblica US, Inc.

ISBN: 978-1-4834-5769-7 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-4834-5770-3 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2016914584

Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Thinkstock are models, and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

Certain stock imagery © Thinkstock.

Lulu Publishing Services rev. date: 09/15/2016

Contents

Acknowledgments

Chapter 1: The Seedling

Chapter 2: That Old Smokehouse

Chapter 3: The Great Pumpkin Feast

Chapter 4: Summer’s End

Chapter 5: Creeks, Crawdads, and Chaw

Chapter 6: The Early Spring Calf

Chapter 7: A Better Look

Chapter 8: A Good Paddling

Chapter 9: Sepulga: A River Story

Chapter 10: February Paddle

Chapter 11: Finding Flat Water

Chapter 12: Song of the Mountain

Chapter 13: Insights

Chapter 14: Lessons

About the Author

Acknowledgments

This book is dedicated to the most devoted, nurturing, God-loving person I have ever known. Without her solidly imposed boundaries, perpetual mentoring, and ceaseless love, I would not have been equipped to learn and grow from life’s uncertainties. I am speaking of course about my mother. Everyone should be so blessed as to have a mentor in life, one who believes in you more than you believe in yourself and who loves you unconditionally. As I was growing up, my mother was not my friend; she was my teacher, counselor, and mentor. She did not remove my burdens or take on the responsibilities for me; rather she taught me how to be strong enough to carry them myself. As a child, I struggled tremendously with reading and as an adult was grammatically challenged. I had a learning disability that made school a toilsome burden. My mother’s vast patience and steadfast persistence carried me through my struggles, which enabled me to graduate on time. Her consistent encouragement propelled me to overcome my disability and achieve success that once was seen as an unreachable dream. I went on to college, received a degree, and in the process learned a lot about myself. I discovered that I truly love to write, and I had a real passion for telling stories. I also discovered how much I enjoyed taking pictures of the great outdoors. On my own, I completely lacked the confidence to share my love for writing and photography. Without her continued encouragement, this book and my landscape photography would be hidden away in my home still today.

This body of work contains true stories of my life from my own perspective and lessons I have learned along the way.

Mom, for all the times I couldn’t adequately convey my love and appreciation, please accept this book and contents as my loving tribute to you and the difference you have made and continue to make. We have done all right. We have not just been marking time, and life is what we are willing to make of it. We have enjoyed a life full of simple pleasures abundant with hope and love. Not bad so far, not bad at all.

Chapter 1

The Seedling

It’s really not a bad drive, I think as I negotiate the turn into the long gravel driveway of my parents’ home in southwestern Indiana. A large and shapely sweet gum tree between a power pole and the house catches my eye. That tree has lured me into daydreams many times since I moved away from home. Gravel chunks pop out from under my car tires and whiz off into the weeds along the drive as I roll to a stop under its shade. Then this wonder of nature begins to work its magic on me, coaxing my mind back thirty years to frolic in a warm pool of childhood memories.

I must have been seven when we lived in town in a small house with a big yard and a huge cherry tree with a sandbox under it. My great-grandparents lived at the end of the block, maybe a hundred yards away down a small grassy alley that divided the block. Right out of our back gate and across the alley was the most magnificent silver maple tree. Pungent with sap, the massive trunk pushed outward against the boundary of the alley and upward so high that it spread shade over half the block at one time or another. This tree offered some shelter to an old shed with moss-covered, rotted ends. The siding soaked up moisture from the ground, and that had only accelerated its decay. Inside, sheltered from rain by a rusty tin roof, was a time capsule of old garden implements, tools, old blue canning jars full of nuts and bolts, and even a car.

The garage sat on the back of Ruth Morgan’s property. I knew this because she and I spent many hours together, talking about gardens, sheds, things she did as a child, and especially trees. Mrs. Morgan was what