The Venetian Vase: A Short Story

By Melanie Schatzel, M.Ed.

This fictional short story offers readers a chance to sit in child's favorite place for just a moment. It is the sacred, secret place of a young girl suffering from obvious physical challenges who is contemplating her value in her small world. While in her favorite place--on the grassy slope of the town's cemetery--the ground's caretaker decides that today, of all the days he has seen her, he is going to reach out to her. He too suffers from disabilities due to an accident that took place on the Island of Murano, Italy while watching his Great Grandfather, a glassblower, masterfully create a beautiful Venetian glass vase. Beside the girl, readers listen as the ground's keeper attempts to share a story that he heard repeated on the evenings he was alone and healing from his life-altering accident, as told to him with only slight variations. And in the process, he helps her realize that she is more precious to the Lord than a Venetian Vase.
This short story is written to inspire readers to contemplate their value as individual's despite the value assigned to them by the world. It encourages readers to look at others in a very different, encouraging light.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Lulu.com
• Release date: Mar 6, 2024
• ISBN: 9781304579423

Book preview

The Venetian Vase

A Short Story

By

Melanie Schatzel

Copyright

The Venetian Vase: A Short Story

First Edition

Copyright © 2024 Melanie Schatzel

All Rights Reserved

ISBN:  978-1-304-57942-3

This is a story of fiction.  All characters and descriptions are in way to be considered true representations of any one person. The events contained herein are for the purpose of spiritual awareness and are not intended to be offensive or contention but of a message of faith, and hope.

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form, or by any means, without the prior written permission of the author, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other non-commercial uses permitted by copyright law.

Dedication

This book is dedicated to my sister, Shay, who has supported my dreams of becoming a writer and photographer when times have become difficult and challenges overwhelming. 

Introduction

There are mornings that I remember with distinct clarity that have no real significant value other than what I saw reminded me that I am blessed.  One morning, not too long ago, I was talking to my youngest sister about a deep sadness I felt because I had failed to sell any of my work in over fourteen months.  Her response was, I believe in you even if you don’t believe in yourself.  Then, she surprised me by requesting that I write her story.  This amazing trust send me back onto a familiar pathway.

At the time, I had spent the previous months solely focused on writing devotionals with elaborating poems to accompany them.  I admitted to her that I feared jumping from poetry to short stories again.  But in fact, I worried so much that it took several days before I attempted to write a first draft for her story.  And when I finished it, I read to my husband, only to be devastated by his complete lack of interest.

If my sister could have seen my husband’s facial expression after I read her story to him, she would have told me