Before I tell you about the good Samaritans, I wanted to share something frivolous, but sweet. Six years ago, when I was in the hospital recovering from one thing or another, my grandsons arrived and brought me a stuffed animal to keep me company. It was a large green frog because they knew Bama loves frogs. We aptly named him Froggie:
I slept with Froggie every night afterwards for three years until my sister's husband died. When I went to her, I took Froggie with me. When I left to go back home, I left him with her, to keep her company.
Over the phone, I told Mister what I was doing. He knew how much Froggie meant to me, so he quickly got online to find me another one and he did find one on eBay. By the time I got home from my sister's, my new Froggie was waiting for me! What a sweet Mister I have!
Fast forward three more years and last week when I went back to sister's, I brought my new Froggie with me. I thought it would be fun for the two frogs to meet each other. They got along famously!
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Good Samaritans
So here is the story of the moving event which happened to my sister while she was preparing for the event of moving. Aren't words fun?
The back story, as I mentioned, is that my sister Doris's husband died suddenly three years ago. Then my sister Donna's husband died in February this year after a long illness. (These ladies are both young at only 60 and 61 years of age.) They decided to live together in Donna's home and so Doris put her home on the market last March. As the months went by with very little buyer interest, Doris managed her house and yard, keeping both pristine for showing, but it was difficult as the months dragged on. For her, the hardest thing was living by herself.
As summer ended, the prime time for selling houses passed and winter loomed, so Doris lowered the price on her home substantially. Within two days, the home sold. A week later the United States government shut down which meant that the buyer's efforts to obtain a federally-funded mortgage came to a standstill. Which meant the sale of Doris's home after all those months came to a standstill.
It was just the sort of bad luck that happened to Doris. Personally, I happen to believe that luck plays a minor role in what happens to us and that most of the bad luck or good luck that happens is more about choices we make than it is about luck. Having said that, however, I have to say that for my sister Doris, if it weren't for bad luck, she wouldn't have any luck at all. She has been Joe Btfsplk in the comic strip of her life.
It was just the sort of bad luck that happened to Doris. Personally, I happen to believe that luck plays a minor role in what happens to us and that most of the bad luck or good luck that happens is more about choices we make than it is about luck. Having said that, however, I have to say that for my sister Doris, if it weren't for bad luck, she wouldn't have any luck at all. She has been Joe Btfsplk in the comic strip of her life.
All that changed for my sister during the huge life-changing event of selling her home.
First of all, it turns out that since the buyers had already been given a loan number when everything shut down, their loan proceeded and was approved. We could hardly believe the good news!
Secondly, cue the angels.
In order to sell a home, the bank requires that it be appraised. In due course, a husband and wife team of appraisers named Gene and Shelly showed up at Doris's house to conduct the appraisal for the sale. Although they were total strangers, they were friendly folks. They got to talking and Doris shared that she was a widow, living on social security, and moving north 400 miles to live with her sister.
On the spot, Gene told Doris that he and his friends would come and help her load up her belongings in the truck or pods she was renting. They would do this for her for free. "Yeah, right," my sister thought.
A few days later Gene called to say that he had been thinking about how much stuff my sister had and that he thought his large trailer would hold all her belongings. He said he would be happy to move her, for free, if my sister would pay for the gas. (My sister had gotten estimates of well over a thousand dollars for moving.)
"Yeah, right," my sister thought, "What's the catch? What's in it for him?"
"Yeah, right," my sister thought, "What's the catch? What's in it for him?"
Skeptical myself, and protective, I Googled Gene. He looked legit as an appraiser. Still, I'll admit that I also thought, "Yeah, right!" Especially since there wasn't anything worth stealing, we all wondered, "Who does that?"
I mean, a lot of us are good people. A lot of us quietly participate in random acts of kindness on a regular basis. But this wasn't just a RAK, at least not in the way I think of a RAK. This wasn't watching a friend's child for a few hours, or bringing a meal to a friend who's recuperating, or offering a ride to a coworker. Good deeds we do for people we know.
I mean, a lot of us are good people. A lot of us quietly participate in random acts of kindness on a regular basis. But this wasn't just a RAK, at least not in the way I think of a RAK. This wasn't watching a friend's child for a few hours, or bringing a meal to a friend who's recuperating, or offering a ride to a coworker. Good deeds we do for people we know.
~~~
This was a couple of strangers spending the better part of several days lifting and carrying heavy objects. Going back and forth and back and forth to load a trailer they were providing for free.
This was driving their truck, pulling a large trailer, for the better part of another whole day.
This was followed immediately by more lifting and carrying heavy objects as they went back and forth and back and forth to unload the trailer, truck, and car.
Then this was simply hugs all around and goodbye.
This was huge.
~~~
Oh, and did I mention that because Doris was unable to keep Rusty, her beloved rescue dog which she had for six years, Gene and Shelly took him and made him a part of their family of four other rescue dogs?
Oh, and did I mention that Gene and Shelly were not an old retirement couple with nothing to do. This couple was young, in their mid-forties.
Oh, and did I mention that Gene and Shelly were not an old retirement couple with nothing to do. This couple was young, in their mid-forties.
Oh, and did I mention that all these people were perfect strangers just three weeks ago?!
Gene and Shelly have touched us all deeply.
First-hand, we learned about trust.
We learned about having faith in someone's words.
We learned about true charity.
These perfect strangers will always have a place in my heart as living angels and good Samaritans. They left me with a resolve to be a better person to those around me, even to strangers.
They reinforced my belief in the Golden Rule and how awesome the world would be if we all lived by these simple, simple words:
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Here we are, three goofy sisters:
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And here is a picture of the sunrise I captured through the window at the airport on the day of my departure for home.
It was a beautiful omen of the new chapter just starting in the lives of both of these dear sisters.
~~~
First-hand, we learned about trust.
We learned about having faith in someone's words.
We learned about true charity.
These perfect strangers will always have a place in my heart as living angels and good Samaritans. They left me with a resolve to be a better person to those around me, even to strangers.
They reinforced my belief in the Golden Rule and how awesome the world would be if we all lived by these simple, simple words:
"Treat others as you would like to be treated."
~~~
Here we are, three goofy sisters:
 |
| Doris, Donna, Darnell |
And here is a picture of the sunrise I captured through the window at the airport on the day of my departure for home.
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Enjoy your day! No, seriously, enjoy. LITS*
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*Life Is Too Short!
