oldkicker
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- Joined
- Aug 23, 1999
- Messages
- 9,835
We just got today's mail delivered. Included was a letter that has me thinking about the meaning of this holiday season...
Before we bought our house, we rented a house on the city's north side. All of the houses there are very close in, side by side, seperated by the driveways.
You got to know your neighbors very well.
We had borrowed a big stake truck to move our stuff in. Matthew, my DS, was four at the time and really wanted a ride in the truck. He sat up front with me. We pulled into the driveway and I went around to let him out. I started to unload the truck. As I came around the truck I noticed Matthew reaching through the chain link fence that seperated our driveway from the neighbor's back yard. He was picking our neighbor's ripe tomatoes through the fence!! Soon enough our neighbor came out. I apologized for Matthew's behavior. Our neighbor, Gerry, smiled and reassured us that it wasn't a problem. He picked another couple of tomatoes and gave them to Matt. His wife, Eva, came out and soon we were all talking at the fence. Unloading the truck was put on hold.
Despite our age difference (Gerry and Eva were in their late 70's), we became very good friends.
After a year in the house, we bought our house and moved away. We visited every so often, but as the years went by we stopped going. Soon we exchanged Christmas cards to keep in touch.
Today we got a letter from Eva.
Gerry died last January. We didn't see the obituary because we were so busy with the holidays, I'm sure. Eva, soon after Gerry's passing, had a heart attack and triple by-pass surgery. She is recovery slowly. Last September their daughter also had a heart attack and died. Their son lives 'out west' somewhere. I think that 'out west' in this case is more of a emotional, rather than physical, state. Eva also lost her sister this past year.
So now she sits in that big house, all alone at Christmas.
From Eva's letter...."It sure is lonesome here. Come over and see me. Call me xxx-xxxx"
My family is planning this wonderful Christmas this year. All of us together. Little ones with beaming faces. A stash of gifts under the tree.
We are rich beyond compare and so, so lucky.
I'd like to ask you all to keep Eva and her son in your thoughts this Christmas. If you are one who prays, I'd appreciate you adding them to your prayers.
If you know of someone who might benefit from good thoughts and prayers, please add them here.
Merry Christmas to you all and thank you!
Before we bought our house, we rented a house on the city's north side. All of the houses there are very close in, side by side, seperated by the driveways.
You got to know your neighbors very well.
We had borrowed a big stake truck to move our stuff in. Matthew, my DS, was four at the time and really wanted a ride in the truck. He sat up front with me. We pulled into the driveway and I went around to let him out. I started to unload the truck. As I came around the truck I noticed Matthew reaching through the chain link fence that seperated our driveway from the neighbor's back yard. He was picking our neighbor's ripe tomatoes through the fence!! Soon enough our neighbor came out. I apologized for Matthew's behavior. Our neighbor, Gerry, smiled and reassured us that it wasn't a problem. He picked another couple of tomatoes and gave them to Matt. His wife, Eva, came out and soon we were all talking at the fence. Unloading the truck was put on hold.
Despite our age difference (Gerry and Eva were in their late 70's), we became very good friends.
After a year in the house, we bought our house and moved away. We visited every so often, but as the years went by we stopped going. Soon we exchanged Christmas cards to keep in touch.
Today we got a letter from Eva.
Gerry died last January. We didn't see the obituary because we were so busy with the holidays, I'm sure. Eva, soon after Gerry's passing, had a heart attack and triple by-pass surgery. She is recovery slowly. Last September their daughter also had a heart attack and died. Their son lives 'out west' somewhere. I think that 'out west' in this case is more of a emotional, rather than physical, state. Eva also lost her sister this past year.
So now she sits in that big house, all alone at Christmas.
From Eva's letter...."It sure is lonesome here. Come over and see me. Call me xxx-xxxx"
My family is planning this wonderful Christmas this year. All of us together. Little ones with beaming faces. A stash of gifts under the tree.
We are rich beyond compare and so, so lucky.
I'd like to ask you all to keep Eva and her son in your thoughts this Christmas. If you are one who prays, I'd appreciate you adding them to your prayers.
If you know of someone who might benefit from good thoughts and prayers, please add them here.
Merry Christmas to you all and thank you!
). That sad letter does stop and make one think.
Nice story.
