Hearts Of Angels

8:27:23 PM EST
Feeling Hopeful

As we start into the holidays, I wanted to send out a note and tell you about one of my heroes.

Many things have changed in my life in the last few months, one thing that has not is the love for my family.  Our youngest son Timothy, made a life changing decision to join the Army. What I didn't know is how much it would change our lives. In a short period of time we went from the daily details of the day, to the hope we might hear from him today.

If I had one wish it would be to tell all who are serving our country how proud we are of them. Our son Tim is currently stationed in Kirkuk, Iraq and has been there for just over a month. The photos above are the first we have seen of him in a few months and they gave us something to fill the missing space in our hearts. 

I hope you enjoy the photos and I hope they help us to not forget all that have someone far from home, as we prepare to give thanks and say our Thanksgiving prayers, I ask you to please say a prayer for all that risking their lives in a land far away, doing their best to keep us safe.

God bless you always, Pvt. Timothy James Garvey.

Stay safe and more than anything else, Thank You!

Love always,

Mom, Dad, Will and Natalie

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10:07:47 PM EDT
Feeling Hopeful

Heart of Our Heroes

 

     What if you could tell the heroes in your life your thoughts? What would you say? How would you say it?

    At the beginning of the war in Iraq, we were able to do just that through a picture. A picture my wife Lorraine and I took of our daughter Natalie.

 

     A new friend I had met through one of my stories sent me an email and asked if I had any thoughts for a photo for a magazine she had started, She was looking for a special photo that conveyed a message of love. The photo, I was told, would be for the Fourth of July edition of her magazine, and needed to be patriotic. I told her about a photo of my daughter praying we had taken in the days following 09-11-01. I said how the photo was inspired by the Firefighters and Police Officers who had lost their lives trying to save others. The photo had been shared with many in the days weeks and months that followed 09-11-01. She liked the idea for the photo, I then told her to let me think about how I could make the photo as special as I could, and get back with her. 

 

    The next day at work I looked at the front page of the local newspaper and saw the picture of a young man standing proudly in his Army uniform. In the background of the photo was a flag. The photo caught my eye and my first thoughts were, “he looks so young”. As I started reading the story I learned the young was from Howell, MI and one of the first to die fighting for our country in Iraq. This young Hero was close to the same age as my oldest son Will. I kept thinking, "What if he was my son?" How did his parents feel? I wondered if they knew we were praying for all of them? The hurt from those thoughts stuck with me all day.

   That night after when my daughter Natalie came in from playing I asked her to get her jammies on, I told her I wanted to take a special picture for America. Natalie asked, “Daddy, who in America?” I told her about the young man I saw in the paper that day and told her, “His Mommy and Daddy must be pretty sad.” I told her I wanted to take a picture of her praying, just like the one we took after 09-11-01, only this picture was to share with all the people who had lost their sons or daughters. The photo was also for all who were fighting for our country who were far away from home.

 

    With the thought of the flag and the young man from the article earlier in the day on my mind, I took our flag down from our flagpole and brought it in the house, to use it for the photo. Natalie and I stapled the stars end of our flag to a broom handle. The flag didn't hang the way I wanted so I asked Lorraine to come help hold furls in the flag for the photo. A few minutes later she came in and after she got over the staples in her broom handle, we set up the photo with a light between Natalie and the flag. (All I wanted to be seen in the photo was the silhouette of a little girl praying and the brightly lit flag). We shot several pictures and when we were done the results were more that I had ever hoped.

   I sent the photo to my friend Victoria in New York. She loved it and wanted to use it. The photo we called, “Dear Lord I Pray” ended up on page 3 of the July edition of her magazine.

 

We were very proud of our accomplishment and wanted to share the photo with everyone in America. I saw on the Internet that AOL was requesting special photos for a series called American Pride. I sent in the photo and it was selected for use. Many wrote saying they loved the photo, within a week it had been downloaded several hundred times.

   One night I asked God if he would help me share the photo (I knew there were many broken hearts, just like the parents of the young man who helped inspire the photo). "I swear" the next day I received a e-mail from AOL asking if they could show it on CNN for the Fourth of July. Our family was again, very proud.

    That weekend I told my niece Amy about one of our photos being on CNN. She asked me if I could send the picture to her at work, saying, she also wanted to share it. (Amy worked for an adverting company that own and design billboards). Amy proudly showed the photo to all of her co-workers. One of Amy’s co-workers, an artist named Marie sent me an email and said she was very touched by the photo. Her note said, “the photo tells all that is in her heart,” she went on to explain, she has one son that is in Iraq and one who just came home safely. I replied to her email and told her that I asked God to help me share it and I was glad she enjoyed the photo along with the love we put into it. Marie then asked me if I truly wanted to share the picture. I said, "You bet!"She then emailed the photo to artists in all 50 states and within 10 minutes she got replies back from 4 states.

   Bbillboards with the photo of our little girl praying for America have stood in many states, with the most special, posted just before Thanksgiving 2003. That billboard read "Welcome to Las Vegas Mr. President. God Bless Our Troops."

   One of our greatest hopes was to get a copy of the photo to our troops for Christmas. Many of our friends had posted the photo on their web sites and told of our request. We received many emails. We told each how we wanted to let troops know we were praying for all of them by sharing the photo with them on Christmas.

 

  On Christmas Eve night as we were getting ready to go to the candle light service at our church, I sat down to look at our email. There on my computer was an email from a man in Iraq. He was in charge of Internet, services for our troops overseas. His reply to me was simple and was the best Christmas present we ever received. He said, “Bill, I heard about your request to share your picture with our troops for Christmas, ‘Consider it done!’ It will be in their email on Christmas morning”.

 

   I sat at my computer with tears in my eyes, reading an email from a man half way around the world, thanking God for helping me share a photo, a photo that was inspired by our heroes. Heroes who had given their lives for our country!

 That night God helped me share a gift, a gift straight from the heart of our heroes.

William J. Garvey

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10:45:01 PM EDT
Feeling Hopeful

  Thank you to all who ordered the book "Chicken Soup Salutes America's Heroes.
I am writing to give you all some news that is not easy to share.
The book, "Chicken Soup Salutes Americas Heroes" will not be going to press. 

I recently found out the publisher of the new book had some reservations about the timing, as well the fact that many of the stories contained death and it did not fit the format of the "Chicken Soup" pattern of books.

 
Good news that came out of this, Joe Woodall and Rick Canfield have asked me to join them as a Co-Author of the new book. My job is to recruit a new publisher under another book name (possibly, "Thank You, Love America"). It will still be a salute to America's Police, Firefighters, EMT and Everyday Heroes.

It is our hope and goal that our new book will remain close to the same format of the Chicken Soup books we have all come to love over the years. Yes, there will still be several stories about the loss all of us have felt, but through that loss we will give back the gift of hope so many need to always remember.

For the last four years many of us have waited in hope of sharing the stories we have written with all of America. In the end it is just as important to me to share all of the stories that need to be told. (God again had other plans for me) Please say a prayer that this effort will go through and the book helps all to remember what our heroes do every day. More importantly it helps the ones that lost someone special know they are forever in our hearts and prayers.

God bless you all and God bless our heroes, Bill Garvey

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12:29:56 AM EDT
Feeling Hopeful
  9-11-05 IS APPROACHING THIS WEEK We must NEVER, EVER FORGET...

The photo about is one that my wife Lorraine and I took a few years ago. My friend Nancy Meek added  the firefighter and angel. This week the above photo is being used as a reminder on a National Firefighter web site as a reminder.

Here is a link.

Thank you BillyG for the help sharing.

Click here: FirefighterCloseCalls.Com - Home of the Secret List

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10:23:00 PM EDT
Feeling Happy

 On October 12, 2001 after returning home from 36 hour trip to New York City, I sat down at my computer for six hours and wrote a story about all of the people and things that would forever change my life.  

 I called the story "Angels In New York" and posted it on AOL on one of their Chicken Soup contest story boards in the hope of one day sharing the love I felt with all of America through "Chicken Soup" and their books.  

Well that day may soon come true! The story about the pumpkin, along with two other stories I wrote about the many heroes that forever will touch my heart are soon to be published in the book below.  

Please take the time to go to Amazon.com and preorder the book. The more people that pre-order. The faster the book will go to press. It has been a very long 3 1/2 years waiting and hoping, but sometimes the most special moments in life are the ones you have to wait the longest to achieve.

Thank You AOL for helping me share the story, also a special thank you to all of you who have encouraged me to keep writing!

God bless you always, Bill      

Here is the link to the Amazon page. Click here: Amazon.com: Books: Chicken Soup for the Soul Salutes America's Heroes : Stories Honoring Police Officers, Firefigh    

Chicken Soup for the Soul Salutes America's Heroes : Stories Honoring Police Officers, Firefighters and Other Emergency Rescue Workers (Chicken Soup for the Soul)
by Jack Canfield, Mark Victor Hansen, Rick Canfield, Joseph Woodall

Publisher: learn how customers can search inside this book. td.productLabel { font-weight: bold; text-align: right; white-space: nowrap; vertical-align: top; padding-right: 5px; } table.product { border: 0px; padding: 0px; border-collapse: collapse; } List Price: $12.95 Price: $10.36 & Eligible for FREE Super Saver Shipping on orders over $25. See details You Save: $2.59 (20%) Availability: This item has not yet been released. You may order it now and we will ship it to you when it arrives from Amazon.com. Sold by Amazon.com.


Edition: Paperback



Editorial Reviews
Book Description
Chicken Soup for the Soul Salutes America's Heroes mixes the kind of action stories rarely seen in Chicken Soup books with heart-touching moments made more beautiful by the extreme circumstances under which they come. These great stories written by and about police officers, firefighters and emergency rescue workers--both famous people and everyday heroes--will take the reader instead the world of rescue workers and bring us the miracles, tragedies and special moments that make life so extraordinary.

While emergency rescue workers will find themselves inspired and awakened by these stories, this is also a salute to these workers. This book is not just for the workers themselves (which is different than most Chicken Soup books), but for all the people who are fascinated with and inspired by their heroism.

In a world where there are too few heroes, and where too few actual heroes get the recognition they deserve, Chicken Soup for the Soul Salutes America's Heroes will show us once again that wonderful things are made possible by wonderful people.

Key Features

• These heart-touching stories capture the emotion of a country still looking for heroes on the front line against terrorism, crime, and the accidents of life.
• This book is not just for rescue workers, although there are more than 500,000 rescue workers who will have a special appreciation and love for these stories.
• More action-oriented stories will appeal to the male demographic often left out of Chicken Soup, while the extraordinary power of human compassion and perseverance in times of trial will strike the heart of our core female readers.

<!-- ul.linkBullets { padding-left: 0; } ul.linkBullets li { list-style-type: none; margin-top: 1em; margin-bottom: 1em; } ul.noteBullets { padding-left: 0; } ul.noteBullets li { list-style-type: none; } span.darkRedWarning { color: #990000; } --> Product Details

• Paperback: 400 pages
• Publisher: HCI (July 1, 2005)
• ISBN: 0757302688

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6:46:19 AM EST
Feeling Sad

 

Theresa Marie Schindler Schiavo 1963-2005

How Do We Say Good-bye

How do we say good-bye

when you know how much we care

Though your eyes didn't always say it

we know you were still waiting there  

We watched and listened for another tomorrow

but your voice they couldn't hear

All America held our breath

as we watched your death draw near

As your light slowly faded away

I hope you forever see

how a nation bent down on our knees to pray

as we watched your soul go free  

God bless you always Terri in your walk with God!  

© William J. Garvey 2005    

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10:05:03 PM EDT
Feeling Quiet

The summer of 2002, our family took a weeks vacation to go to NYC. The trip and feelings I got are memories I will never forget. Here is one of the poems that were caused by that feeling of loss and hope for the future.

Remember Our Hero's

Remember our Hero's is what the first sign I saw told.

I will never forget them, not even when I grow very old.

The memories of our hero's are forever planted in the ground,

It was carried by every fence post and person that I found.

Life is too short remember to live for today.

Our love will always be with you,

Dear Lord I pray

William J. Garvey

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12:15:08 AM EDT
Feeling Sad

A Hole in A Hole in My Heart
©William J. Garvey and Nancy L. Meek

A Place...

where all my dreams
can once again come true
so much blessed hope
just waiting to rise anew.

I wait...
for that new home
where memories of love
can forever stay.

So many lost...
I just need a place
to close my eyes,
shed a tear and pray.

A Dream...

for all my tomorrows
will soon come into view.
I hold my breath...
for the symbol to shine anew.

Today...

it's still a hole in the ground
waiting for construction to start.
I wait...hoping to heal
this hole so deep in my heart.

With Love,
America

Please visit the "New York City Angels" website and read:

Click here: A Pumpkin Comes to New York...

....the heartwarming true story of William Garvey's dream and that of his wife, Lorraine, to demonstrate, in some tangible way, their patriotic fervor and love for their fellow Americans and heroes following the terrorist's attacks on America. Read about the angels-in-disquise whom Bill encountered along his journey and who assisted him on his 11-hour trek from his home state of Michigan to the Red Cross Family Assistance Center in New York City.
It is a truly touching story you won't want to miss.

 

One of the many angels that have helped me share and improve my writing is Nancy Meek. She made this page (which is part of her web site) after I sent her the poem "A Hole In My Heart" Nancy, who is a wonderful poet took the poem and helped me change it into something very special. She added some of my pictures, which she also edited. The page she created is set to mucic. It tells how we both feel about all that were lost and all the tears that will be forever felt. Please check out the link below along with Nancy's other poems. Thank You Nancy and God Bless!

Here is the link to the page and through it you can get to Nancy's many other works.

Click here: A Hole in My Heart...A Poem on the Hole Left in America's Heart after the Attack on the WTC

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10:50:10 PM EDT
Feeling Hopeful

For those of you who have been wondering where I have been and what I have been up too. This story is it!

A few weeks ago my friend Ayn sent me a link to a man that was one of the rescue workers at ground zero. She also told me about a poem he had written. As it turned out, the day before I had received a note from my friend Joe. He is writing a new Chicken Soup book called "Chicken Soup for America's Hero's Soul" He was looking for a few more stories. I told him of the poem and told him, if needed I would write something to go with it.  

I emailed the man named William Hoover (Bill) and asked if he had written any of the events that led to the poem. He told me that he had not written very much about the event because of all the hurt. 

I asked Bill if I could write something to go with his poem. Bill said that would be fine. Well after reading all of the stories in the link he had sent me, I was not sure where to start. Then yesterday I received a note from Chicken Soup asking for Bill's address so they could get a release for the poem. They were considering Bill's poem for the upcoming book!

Well that story I was writing in my mind now needed to be written. I sat down last night and with the help of Bill Hoover's web pages, the web site dedicated to the 37 and the notes he had sent me. I put together this story to lead into the poem. (You may recognize the beginning from the story about my sister. Somehow it was the words I needed to start the story).

Hope you enjoy!

 

 September Morn

I would like to begin this story with a quote from a verse of a song sung
by New York native Neil Diamond. These few words from the song "September
Morn" help to put things into perspective. Here are the words, "And look
how far we've come, so far from where we used to be, but not so far that
we've forgotten how it was before. September morn."

William Hoover (Bill) grew up in New Jersey and retired back in 1996 from
the Port Authority of NY & NJ as a Police Lieutenant. Bill moved shortly
after his retirement to his new home in the Nevada desert near Las Vegas.
He moved there with his best friends, his wife, Libby and his two dogs,
Spirit, a Dobie/Shepherd mix and Bruno a German Shepherd.

Bill has seen many things in his life that left memories, some happy, some
sad, and all, he will never forget. He is proud to tell that he was a Viet
Nam Veteran of U.S. Coast Guard, Squadron One, Division Twelve, DaNang, RVN
1967-1969 where he was a gunner aboard an 82' coastal/river patrol boat.

After serving our country in the military, Bill moved back home to New
Jersey and took a job as a police officer, working for the Port Authority
of New York and New Jersey (PAPD). Bill held many jobs in his years working
as policeman. The one that he loved the most was his time as the Supervisor
of the K-9 unit.

Another of Bill’s memories came as he watched the World Trade Center (WTC)
being built. It changed the skyline and helped to greet him as he went to
work each day and it was part of his job to patrol the construction. Bill
was there at the WTC in 1993 where he and his fellow policeman helped to
save lives after it was bombed. He like all of America never thought that
he would see that type of devastation again.

Then came September 11, 2001. Bill watched his TV in horror as the towers
he had witnessed being built came crashing to the ground. Bill knew, just
like in 1993 that his help was needed. He didn’t know how bad it was, but
he knew it was bad!

Bill went back again, telling of his trip, “It was very emotional as I
headed first east and then north to get back.” Bill said, “all along the
interstate routes I traveled there were American flags draped over many of
the overpasses.” Those flags helped to give him comfort. Bill told how he
drove 54 hours straight to get back to NY. “I stopped twice along the way
to get some sleep and within an hour I was on the road again. I just
couldn't rest until I got back and checked in at my old HQ!”

Bill said, “As I drove in after 09/11 the changed skyline and the terrible
smoke was so eerie it made the hair on my neck stand out. As I watched the
smoke my stomach muscles tightened. They didn't loosen up again until the
following December.”

Bill worked at Ground Zero and at the PAPD headquarters for the next five
weeks, working on Rescue/Recovery Operations. Bill said, “I watched the WTC
being built as I drove across the Pulaski Skyway in NJ to work each day in
NY or Jersey City it saddened me because the skyline just isn't the same.”

Bill was also there for another reason, he was there to give comfort to his
friends and the families of his fellow workers. The Port Authority Police
Department had lost 37 of itsfinest Police officers and one of its finest
dogs. More had died in that one day than in all the years combined, since
the department came into existence.

All who died, died giving the gift that Bill and many like him were giving.
They came back, again and again, leaving the World Trade Center with groups
of people, only to go back in for more. One Police Captain used her gun to
shoot out the plate glass walls on the main level of the WTC allowing
thousands of  people to escape quickly. In the end they were still there
trying to save many more lives and that gift they gave cost them their own.
They were truly earth angels that were destined to gain their wings.

Bill still has a very hard time talking about all that happened after
09/11. Of those 37 heroes that died 31 were his close friends and he was
there for most of the funerals and memorials that were held in the weeks
following.

Bill wrote this poem while he was in New York. He wrote to help heal
himself and the many others, like him that had a part of their hearts torn
from them. He wrote these words too, so that we never forget the gift that
was given and the hurt that will never go away.

God Bless You Bill!

THE THIRTY-SEVEN
A Tribute to 37 Port Authority Police Officers
September 11, 2001 - World Trade Center

I remember them just fine,
Gentle folks of modern time.
Put to test the true resolve
That made our country again evolve.

Thirty-Seven a number norm,
Battling a firestorm.
Metal I-beams, rock, debris,
Smoke so thick they couldn't see.

They helped those who ran in fear,
Saving lives as death drew near.
Dodging fire raining down
From the skies of New York town.

Thirty-Seven Angels, why?
Thirty-Seven heroes high.
Names and faces that I see,
Always there reminding me.

How did life so precious die
And leave us all so high and dry?
These folks knew the deck was stacked.
These folks didn't turn their backs.

Thirty-Seven that I knew,
Thirty-Seven all in blue.
These PA Cops will always be
Close to me in memory.

God Bless the Thirty-Seven!

© 2002 - William F. Hoover
Lieutenant PAPD (Ret)
All Rights Reserved

Thank you Bill, for your help, your words, your gift to your friends, your gift to all of us who never knew the 37 and your efforts to help heal America's broken heart.

Here is a link to Bill's web journal. Click here: Comments on the events of my life  

Here is another link to the stories of the 37 that died saving others. God bless them and their families. Click here: Remembering The Heroes of the PAPD

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11:52:45 PM EDT
Feeling Happy

Sometimes we forget to tell people how special the friendship they give means to us. I wanted to take the time to say, “Thank you!”

I got in a pretty good accident tonight. (I say good, because no one got hurt to bad).

I was on my way home from work and hardly moving in a traffic jam. While I was sitting waiting for traffic to clear, I was rolling my neck around because it is still stiff from an accident I had a month ago. (A man hit my truck on the expressway and sent me into a big draining ditch at 70 mph. Then, like today I walked away. The driver of the car that hit me took off, but not before I got his license number. (That is another story)! I was and am very mad at that man for leaving me).

Today I was almost through the construction and the second car from the intersection. Five cars had went thru the light, when the lady in front of me decided that she didn’t want to get stuck in the intersection. She stopped just as I was thinking the same thought about not being stuck in the intersection.

All of a sudden there was a big boom and I hit her. In that spit second, all I could think of was “I know I stopped with enough room! How did I hit her?” I looked around my pick up truck and there was glass everywhere. When I looked in the rear view mirror I saw a small SUV had hit me from the rear. All I could see was a big white thing that took up the whole windshield.

The lady that was driving the SUV hit me so hard that my head went through the back widow of my truck. Somehow I didn't get hurt too bad; my neck is a little sore but that is it, so far.

When the young lady that was ahead of me got out of her car, I asked her if she was alright and she said she was OK. She then asked if I was alright. I said that the glass from my back window went down my shirt. I then untucked my shirt and it looked like it was raining glass from my shirt. I didn’t get cut at all!

I walked around to the small SUV that hit me and somehow I thought of all my friends at church as I opened the passenger door. The young woman was in tears and I could see she was shaken from the airbag going off and the accident. I asked if she was alright. She said "I am OK, I am so sorry! I was having a fight with my husband on the phone and didn't see you stop!" I told her that I was fine and told her she was bleeding from a small cut on her arm. She told me it was from the air bag. She said, "I am sorry I wrecked your truck." I smiled as I told her "I can buy another truck, as long as you are not hurt, I am happy! Accidents happen!"

The lady’s SUV is pretty close to totaled as it went under the back of my truck. My truck is still drivable and I took the day off tomorrow so my son and I can fix it back up, I told him he could use it when he goes away to collage next week.

God works in funny ways some times. I was sad that my truck got bent up, but I was so happy that no one got hurt too bad.

Thank you all who remind me that God is watching us and thank you for being there with me in sprit today! Do you belive in angels yet?

I do!

Thank you God!

Bill Garvey

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