A Kindness Story... by Joanne Patek
My husband and I were married 30 years before he died suddenly
from a heart attack. At that particular time in our life we were
trying to pay cash for everything and get out of debt. His 280Z
blew the engine and he was riding the bus to work while we saved
for that engine repair. Pat was an extraordinary man and dedicated
husband, father, son, friend, and pastor to many. He would call
me three times throughout the day and take the time to say, "I
only have a fleeting moment and I wanted to give it to you, by
saying how much I love you." On this one particular phone
call, he was talking longer and even lamenting with a whine.
"How fast can we get the budget to move so that I can drive
again?" he asked me.
After his call, I asked myself what fun thing could I do to show
support and love for him in order to encourage and lift his spirits.
I then proceeded to take my lunch, go to Walgreen's, get a box
of chalk, and drive 8 blocks from our house where the bus left
him off each day.
With that chalk I drew big hearts on the street poles and sidewalk
for all 8 blocks and wrote the words "Pat & Joanne Forever...True
love to infinity and beyond...until the twelfth of never - forever
I will be loving you."
On Pat's delightful walk home that evening, my LOVE was expressed
all over for ALL to see, and it even stayed there for over a
week for him to enjoy each evening as he emerged from the bus.
I am so glad that I took the time to express myself so extravagantly,
not knowing that he would die unexpectedly just a couple of months
after that.
We never know when it is the last kiss or hug that we will get,
so we tried to never forget the power of each moment. Our family
motto has always been "Love not expressed is love not received."
You can say you love me, but without expressing that love, I
do not know it. I am so glad that I took the time to make that
memory into a kodak moment that day. What a lunch, and oh, what
feeling it gave to both of us.
A Kindness Story...by Sunny B
Dear Veronica,
I am relatively new to "Cyberia" but lucked into your
site early on. I have greatly enjoyed and felt inspired by your
daily messages. I want to share with you an act of kindness that
I was the grateful recipient of.
In 1987 I was the victim of domestic violence. I was also shunned
by my community because my partner was very popular and no one
thought he should face the consequences of his actions. After
an ugly court battle, my ex was sentenced to 7 years in prison.
Our home was pelted with eggs, tomatoes, death threats and more.
I saved every penny to get my daughters and I moved to a safer
place and with Christmas coming, I feared it would be sparse.
My little girls had done no wrong and I knew would be hard pressed
to comprehend why they'd lost their father, their community and
now would have no Christmas.
We had just returned from apartment hunting when there was a
knock at the door. I was afraid to answer. My daughters stood
fearfully beside me as we waited for a voice to identify themselves.
"It's me, Santa" said a deep voice. And my little girls
whooped with joy. I grew more afraid. "Mommy, Mommy, open
the door!" came their innocent voices.
Ever so slowly, I unlatched the chain and opened the door. In
front of me stood a Santa, several elves and wrapped parcels
and bags of groceries stretching about 20 feet down the hallway.
My daughters wrapped their arms around Santa and I burst into
tears. The elves carried all the packages into our little apartment.
We had a very generous Christmas. Inside an envelope was also
a certificate from a moving company and $1000 for 1st and last
month's rent toward a new apartment.
I cannot tell you how much this meant to my children and I. We
had a lovely Christmas, moved very shortly thereafter and began
a new life.
To this day I do not know who those wonderful people were but
I will always be very grateful to them and anyone else involved.
You see, they spared two little girls from utter despair, and
one mother the agony of witnessing this.
We rebuilt our lives and in our new community people know our
story. Here we are treated respectfully and kindly. My daughters
know there are good people in this world and learned this message
at a time when life seemed at its worst.
This was a truly wonderful act of generosity and kindness for
which I will be eternally grateful.
Sunny B.
A Kindness Story... by Carol Read
Dear Veronica
I've seen and received many acts of kindness, but I feel most
grateful for the following one. About 25 years ago, when I was
very depressed, an elderly neighbor began giving me a peace rose
from his garden every time he saw me passing by.
He did this all summer, so I always had a fresh rose by my bedside
table. This act of kindness, I believe, helped heal my life.
With love, Carol
A Kindness Story... by Joanne Patek
My husband and I were married 30 years
before he died suddenly from a heart attack. At that particular
time in our life we were trying to pay cash for everything and
get out of debt. His 280Z blew the engine and he was riding the
bus to work while we saved for that engine repair. Pat was an
extraordinary man and dedicated husband, father, son, friend,
and pastor to many. He would call me three times throughout the
day and take the time to say, "I only have a fleeting moment
and I wanted to give it to you, by saying how much I love you."
On this one particular phone call, he was talking longer and
even lamenting with a whine. "How fast can we get the budget
to move so that I can drive again?" he asked me.
After his call, I asked myself what fun thing could I do to show
support and love for him in order to encourage and lift his spirits.
I then proceeded to take my lunch, go to Walgreen's, get a box
of chalk, and drive 8 blocks from our house where the bus left
him off each day.
With that chalk I drew big hearts on the street poles and sidewalk
for all 8 blocks and wrote the words "Pat & Joanne Forever...True
love to infinity and beyond...until the twelfth of never - forever
I will be loving you."
On Pat's delightful walk home that evening, my LOVE was expressed
all over for ALL to see, and it even stayed there for over a
week for him to enjoy each evening as he emerged from the bus.
I am so glad that I took the time to express myself so extravagantly,
not knowing that he would die unexpectedly just a couple of months
after that.
We never know when it is the last kiss or hug that we will get,
so we tried to never forget the power of each moment. Our family
motto has always been "Love not expressed is love not received."
You can say you love me, but without expressing that love, I
do not know it. I am so glad that I took the time to make that
memory into a kodak moment that day. What a lunch, and oh, what
feeling it gave to both of us.
|
