Thursday, May 14, 2009

Merry Day in May


This weekend we celebrated the 90th birthday of a delightful lady whom I met 36 years ago. I made her acquaintance because of an unhappy circumstance; her husband had died suddenly and she wanted to rent a room to a male student. Not only would the student provide incidental income, his/my presence gave her a sense of security in an empty home. (Those who know me are amazed that she would feel this way.)

A few months into our arrangement she began to treat me more like a son than a boarder. She always had "extra" food warming on the stove, and my messy room mysteriously tidied itself while I attended classes.

In the intervening years she has added dozens of grandchildren and great-grandchildren to her list of admirers. For many of them her home has been a shelter against life's storms. Her story is an example that shows, if you can just hang on, things have a way of working out. Happy Birthday and many more, with gratitude.

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