One Big Hug! At facebook, instead of the grocery store (from logan ainger, summerville High grad)…
BZ NOTES: Originally this piece was written in Spring 2021, but I hadn’t learned how to post my entries. So, here we are 2 years later! (I hope that Logan and Emily are still hanging out together. Most of all, I hope that they’re both living their best life in this moment.)
A while back I received this delightful story from a former student in my Facebook Messenger Service. I loved it, and asked the author if I could post it here. “Of course!” he said…
Wow, time flies! Though, keeping with past themes, here I am getting ready to graduate once again! I hope this message finds you well! I was actually hoping to send an email to you, since I know Facebook can be an inconsistent contact platform, but I figured that contact, either immediate or eventual, is contact in the end, and the subject-matter should brighten your day! At the start of 2021 I began a new relationship (yay!) but there was an inherent difficulty of distance rapidly approaching as obligations from the bay called me back to my home away from home. Wanting to continue fostering this newly seeded relationship, both myself, and my partner spent some time wondering about how best to bridge the gap, and continue to let the seed germinate and grow. During another evening (early morning) of staying up too late talking, trying to enjoy the time we had left together and stubbornly shooing away sleep, I playfully scolded her for staying up so late on a work night: look at the time! (1:30 am on the clock) Maybe I should tuck you in, and read you a bedtime story so you don't get yourself into trouble! I said, laughing. She replied in a soft voice: I like bedtime stories. I was a little surprised at first, but I remembered how comforting, and precious my memories of stories were. I remembered my mother reading me to sleep every night as a child. I remembered growing old enough to read my mother stories. I remembered learning the power of my voice when telling stories in school. (thank you!!) I remembered staying up all night reading more and more... always in search of new stories. I also remember when I stopped reading stories. And then, sitting on a couch at 1:30 in the morning, I realized how much I missed them. And so began the nightly tradition of telling bedtime stories. The stories have been short, long, in chapters, on the phone, in person, and via recording, but for every night, there has been a story. I never expected betime stories to be one of things I look forward to every day at 24, but they have been the catalyst for my relationship. Stories are what keep me close to her, even when I'm far away, and they let her know she's very special and important to me. They say that talking to plants helps them grow, and, at least for this analogy of a relationship, I can certainly say I agree. The little plant is growing quickly, and I can't wait to see where the story of it goes. Personally, I'm hoping it grows into something along the lines of the beanstalk from Jack and The Beanstalk. I hope you liked my short story! Both Ellen and I miss hearing your stories, and hope you're doing very, very well! - Logan
