Brenna Ross
Joyce Clyde Hall was 18 when he began designing and selling postcards in 1910. He was homeless and had no money, but he had plenty of determination. Ninety-seven years later the Hallmark Corporation is making billions of dollars a year. If that isn’t a cheesy story then I have yet to hear one. In 1951 Hallmark began making more cheesy stories with “Hallmark Hall of Fame” television specials. All were sentimental tearjerkers that were the epitome of cheesiness. I watched many of them when I was young, but I never believed that they could happen in real life. As it turns out, I was wrong. Here are three stories from my summer that are worthy of Hallmark movies.

There was a famous squirrel in my neighborhood. Due to some genetic disorder he was unable to grow hair on his lower half and was especially noted for his long hairless tail. The kids in the neighborhood affectionately called him the “Rat Squirrel,” but I preferred to think of him as having lost his pants.

One night my family was having dinner with a friend’s aunt when she mentioned coming across what she first thought was a very large rat. Upon getting closer, she realized it was a hairless squirrel carcass. We knew immediately that the “Rat Squirrel” was no more. It was just a squirrel, but we were still all a little sad. A few days later my mom woke my up and told to go look outside. In our front yard was a whole family of “Rat Squirrels.” Cheese Rating: Kraft American Singles

My dad was playing basketball with my sister when he spotted a dachshund in our alley. The dog was clearly sick and was staggering around. My dad, worried of rabies, barricaded the dog in our yard and called Animal Control. Not five minutes after the dog had been picked up, a young mom and her son pulled over in front of our yard. The boy, who must have been five or six, asked my dad if he had seen his dog. It was an old dachshund and he walked funny, but there was nothing wrong with him. When my dad said that the dog had just been taken to the Scott County Humane Society, words couldn’t describe the boy’s joy and the mom’s relief. Cheese Rating: String Cheese

There was a little girl, Allison, with the Make-A-Wish Society whose dream was to meet the original cast of High School Musical. Due to production schedules, the local cast of the stage show was as close as everyone thought she would get. Months after meeting the local cast it turned out that Allison was going to get to meet the cast of the movie at the premiere of the sequel. Her dream was going to come true. Cheese Rating: “Sharpay” Cheddar

I make fun, but all of these events brought a smile to my face. Hallmark movies are not realistic and events like these do not happen very often in real life. Many lost dogs do not find homes and everyone has dreams that do not come true, but when things seem too depressing, you have to remember one thing. Miracles do happen and often with a little “cheese” on top.