FOR A TIME CAPSULE

Does an author ever write anything that is not targeted for publication?

I explored that in chapter nine in my recently published book, Writing For The Supreme Editor titled "Homespun Writing." 

That kind of writing is "published" not in a paperback edition or online but in real time from our hearts to the hearts of people for whom we specifically write. It already accomplishes its purpose. No publicist or marketing or promotion or publicity needed. People close to us are often the ones to receive such writing. 

In the case below, I wrote it to be put into a Time Capsule to be opened by my twin great-granddaughters on their 18th birthday. Today we celebrate their first birthday.

My writing will be "in print" for 18 years and be "reprinted" in the year 2036, Lord willing. That's a longer in stock duration than most books rolling off the press these days. At its "publication" today it has subsidiary readers by family and friends and my blog viewers across the country and around the world. I'd say that's a pretty extensive readership for a piece of homespun writing that wasn't intended for the usual publication track, wouldn't you?

Dear Great-grandchildren Abigail and Charlotte,

My name is Leona Choy. Many in our family call me “Bubi” which is the short form of the Czech language word pronounced “Bubitchka” which means “grandmother.” I am your great-grand-Bubi.

I was so excited to meet both of you beautiful babies when you came to visit me soon after you were born!  

Today you are celebrating your first birthday in real time, but apparently you will not be reading this note from me until you are 18 years old. We used to say that something like that is pretty “cool.” I don't know what newly coined words you say at the time you are reading this.

I wonder what you both look like as you are reading this 18 years later—you are two beautiful, intelligent young women for sure, who are probably living in a much different society than you were when you celebrated your first birthday. I can hardly imagine what your world will be like in 2036.
 

I won't be around to celebrate your 18th birthday with you. I expect to be in Heaven where I also anticipate meeting you girls someday. Then we will all be together again like when we were on Earth and we'll have a mega-celebration to get to know each other again.

I might actually know all about your growing years even when I'm in Heaven. I've been praying to my Heavenly Father God for you every day since long before you were born. When I get to Heaven, I believe I will keep on doing the same thing—praying for you every day.  

Oops! Maybe they don't count days in Heaven since everything there is forever? Perhaps God sends His angels to Earth to carry out the answers to the prayers we are bringing to Him for those we love who are still on Earth--like you. We will have lots of surprises when we get to Heaven!

You probably won't remember me when you are 18 because you were too young to figure out who is who among all the people in your family who love you. As you grow, you will sort out who is who. But your G-G Bubi has written a lot of books so that when you read them, you will get to know me too. Perhaps one or both of you will become writers too?  

 

I was once a baby like you girls. This is my picture before I was one year old.  I didn't have any sisters or brothers.

When I grew up I had children of my own, four boys. Your Poppy Cliff was one of them. 

This is a picture of him with his brothers when he was a little boy. He is the one sitting in front of me. Yes, that is me G-G Bubi holding Poppy's new baby brother. To my right is my mother, Marie. To my left is Poppy's Daddy Ted.

Years went by and I was thrilled to have 10 grandchildren...your Mommy Kristen was one of them.

Eventually God blessed me with great-grandchildren like you. You girls were #12 and #13 of my great-grandchildren.

Then more years went by and I had the fun of growing really older. This is my picture when I was 90 years old. I am almost 93 when I am writing this letter to you. 

Through the love that your Daddy Bob and Mommy Kristen had for each other, you girls were born. That is how you got your earthly bodies. I call them “earth suits.” 

Those bodies will grow old someday too. 

But when you were born, God also gave each of you separately a soul or spirit deep within you, invisible. That is the “real you.” Because God made your soul for living forever and ever. It will never grow old and die. I hope you will be learning more about all the exciting things that God, your Creator, planned for you two. 
 

God loves you more than you can imagine and wants to be your closest Friend and Heavenly Father all your lives. God is with you constantly so you will never need to feel alone even at times when  you will be away from each other and living your own lives separately. He designed a wonderful and different plan for both of you for your lives according to the talents and gifts and abilities He has given differently to both of you. I get so excited to think about what you both will become in your lives!

I want you both to know that I love you dearly, heaps and a bundle, and I'm so proud to have you in my life.

I want to give you a blessing:

“May the Lord bless you and watch, guard, and keep you and cause His face to shine upon you (that means “smile”) and enlighten you and be gracious, kind, merciful and giving favor to you; May the Lord lift up His approving countenance upon you and give you peace, tranquility of heart and life continually.” (Numbers 6:24-26)

I pray that God may lead you, Abigail and Charlotte, all through your lives ahead and bless and prosper you in all your ways—forever and forever.

With all my love,

Your great-grand-Bubi Leona Choy

ONE MORE ITEM CROSSED OFF MY BUCKET LIST

I HAVE COMPLETED something that I had relegated to the bottom of my personal Bucket List as an IMPROBABILITY. It suddenly jumped to the level of a POSSIBILITY....then to a PRIORITY when I discussed it with my four sons at my 90th birthday celebration. I anticipated that the road trip to my hometown would not only give me a great deal of joy, but that God had a purpose for it.

I wanted once more to visit the place of my birth, the place of my roots and heritage in Iowa. And touch my remaining relatives and friends and "hug their necks."

My son Cliff volunteered to drive me and be my companion. He more than fulfilled that huge role! He rented a car, made the most comfortable reservations for our accommodations, and carefully watched over my well-being and all the logistics involved. And he was patient and gracious to sit and listen to conversations with our relatives and friends most of whom were strangers to him but memorable to me. We set off on what turned out to be about 2030 miles RT for our week's journey.

Cliff's GPS gadget got a good workout enabling him to readily locate a total of nearly 50 people on my list to hug in one-on-one visits and sometimes at breakfasts, lunches, and dinners to which we were invited. We enjoyed trips to the countryside, farms, and places of nostalgia where I spent the first 18 years of my life and where I was married.

I really thought that I couldn't possibly cover all the list of people I hoped to see in a few brief days. Nevertheless, I prayed and committed myself to God's GPS=God's Precise Selection, and knew I would connect with exactly the people He had planned. The timing turned out to be so accurate, even to the perfect fall weather in the Heartland and the availability of those I wanted to see. I felt that each encounter was meant to be. Those moments for both of us were not random; we touched one another for some purpose God had in mind. There were some surprise extra folks we met which were more than coincidence.

I was aware that on such an emotional experience I would keenly miss my parents and many relatives and friends who have departed this life in past decades. There were poignant moments. Places of my childhood and growing years have changed until some were nearly unrecognizable. Cedar Rapids, Iowa had experienced a 500 year flood a few years ago which drastically changed the landscape.

The beloved family home where I grew up was a rental house now, but the occupants warmly welcomed us for a memory walk through. Many of the “earth suits” (bodies) of the friends and relatives who remain have grown weathered and weary with the years. I visited the hospital and a half dozen assisted living residences to renew friendships with those who now call it "home."

On the final day of our drive home to the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia, thank God we navigated safely through drenching rain and dense fog especially through the mountains and valleys. We left behind the sunshine of Iowa with its memories of a happy crossing-out of an important-to-me item on my Bucket List.

Postscript photos requested

Many friends requested a few more photos 

of my 90th Birthday Bash.

 I respond below with captions:

Leona with Myla, Makenna's baby sister  (Great-grands)










SIBLING LOVE!  Ephrem with baby Karis Leona:  (Great-grands)

  Daddy, Dr. Ed Choy (grandson) overnight tenting in Grandma's yard. Great-Grandsons Emet and Elijah dreaming of Redskins victories!)

Left:  Leona's home, "EAGLE SUMMIT" built for her by son Rick who owns it. He planned for plenty of room for family and guests who come to the Shenandoah Valley to visit her.
(Jeffrey D. Choy, grandson, fire-maker)

       Relaxing under the big tent while the kids enjoy the waterslide

Thanks, Uncle Jeff, (son) for the inflatable water slide and the big pavilion tent

Ted and Leona Choy: (way back when!)

 Parents, grandparents, and great-grandparents of the

 current generations of the Choy Family

EPHREM, MY GREAT GRANDSON—A SAINT IN THE MAKING

Celebrating your namesake

            I’m not sure why your Dad and Mom chose that name for you, but you have a noble role model and namesake in Saint Ephrem the Syrian Christian. You probably aren’t aware of it as a pre-schooler, but Syria is a country far away from your home in Maryland. Syria is much in the world’s headline news at present.

            Today, June 9, the Church celebrates his life all over the world. You will read and understand more about Saint Ephrem as you grow older, but I’ll tell you a few things in advance. Ephrem was born in Mesopotamia and like you came from a Christian family. He lived in the 300s A.D. That was just a couple of hundred years after Jesus lived on earth and then went to heaven.

            Ephrem was not really a very smart student in school, but he studied hard and did well. When he grew up he became a great writer even though he didn’t have a computer or even a pen and paper as we do. Even today can read some of his wonderful writings that have lasted for nearly two thousand years.

Ephrem knew a lot about the teachings of Jesus even before all the books of the Bible had been put together. Those who knew Jesus passed on his true teachings to others and then they passed it on to Ephrem and the people who lived in his day. He loved Jesus very much and taught people to believe in Him. He tried to be sure they believed exactly what Jesus taught. He was always standing up for the Christian faith against those who didn’t believe. He preached in public and became a deacon in the early church community.

            Ephrem wrote poetry and many beautiful hymns to the melodies of popular songs. He changed the words to words of sound doctrine. He was one of the first to teach singing in public worship to instruct people in the Christian faith. This was something new in his day, although throughout Scriptural history God’s people always sang praises to God. It made them feel part of each other and expressed their joy in Jesus. Some people gave Ephrem a nickname, “Harp of the Holy Spirit” because he was always singing about Jesus.

            As your great-grandma, I pray for you that you will continue to be a joyful, singing boy and then grow to be a man who always brings people to Jesus. God has gifted you with a big, happy smile, Ephrem, that everyone notices. I think you were born smiling! You are already a blessing to your family and others. We love you. I know you will live up to the witness and holy life of your namesake, Saint Ephrem.