What I\u2019ve been thinking about lately is an elderly lady in my neighbourhood who I had a very special friendship with, though we really didn\u2019t speak very often.\u00a0 For most of their years of elementary school I walked my children the four or five blocks to school, and then met them again at the end of the day.<\/p>\n
Some of this yes, was simple necessity, I am not a driver (I am a walker) and when the first of my four began school the other three littles and I walked one to school and back again.\u00a0 With each passing year, this in turn became two to school, then three to school and so on.\u00a0 Sometimes there was a wagon full in fair weather, and then a long black sled full of children and back packs in winter.\u00a0 (My arms and legs had never been so strong!)\u00a0 Later I was a parent volunteer at the school, helping children with literacy and fine motor skills,\u00a0 and I guess too .. I just really liked being with my kids..\u00a0 and other peoples kids and I was there for them when I could be.<\/p>\n
We always took the same route, passed by the same houses, said hello to the same dogs.\u00a0 We also happen to pass by a lovely yellow brick house, not too far from ours but around the corner with a large picture window in front.\u00a0 In this window sat an elderly lady, who smiled and waved as we passed by and of course, we, the children and I responded with our own group of smiles and waved back.\u00a0 So this became our very pleasant ritual five days a week for many years.
\nIn that first winter when snow had come down and not been cleared, I began to shovel the snow from her porch, walk and drive on my early morning walks.\u00a0 It was sometime before she discovered it was me, from then on she called me her angel.<\/p>\n
One afternoon as the children and I passed she waved us in, it was just after Halloween and I believed my children were too small for much trick or treating and didn\u2019t really eat much candy anyway –\u00a0 at the door she handed me a small brown bag with a few treats that she had saved especially for us.\u00a0\u00a0 The next year, we made it a point to dress the kids and stop in to see her.<\/p>\n
A few years on, one morning she waved me in and asked if I would mind pulling a few weeds in her gardens as she was no longer able.\u00a0 We saw to a tree being cut down when it had become unhealthy, dangerous and caused her to worry.\u00a0 Then once after an ice storm her power and phone had been out for a couple of days and she flagged me in to ask it I could contact her daughter to let her know.\u00a0\u00a0 I tried to keep a more careful eye on her there after.<\/p>\n
When I fell terribly ill with a bout of pneumonia and my husband had been taking care of the travels to school and back,\u00a0 this lovely soul noticed I was missing and sent home a gift that she had made with a note wishing me well.<\/p>\n
When she died,\u00a0 I sent a letter to her daughter to say just how much she had meant to us, and how very much..\u00a0 we would miss her.<\/p>\n
Having shared all of this, what I\u2019m thinking is how lovely she was and somehow I just can\u2019t for the life of me remember her name\u2026\u00a0\u00a0 and isn\u2019t that awful.
\nI ask the kids, now young adults with young working memories – not yet full of so much stuff –
\nif they can remember\u2026 jog the brain fog
\nThen we share stories of remembrance and loveliness,
\nand we smile.<\/p>\n
When I say we had a very special friendship,\u00a0it is
\nbecause we really did.
\nShe meant a lot to me, even though
\nI suppose I didn\u2019t actually visit her so much,
\nspend the time
\nas one should
\nI, as a busy young mother of four,
\nbuilding a life
\nkeeping up
\nwe did, both of us, this lovely lady and I
\nmaintain a bond of kindness
\ntouched a life
\nfound a kinship
\nshared love
\nand a comfort
\nin knowing the other was
\nthere
\nalways with a smile
\nand a wave<\/p>\n
So, what I\u2019m thinking is… true, maybe we cannot possibly do all of the good
\nthat is necessary to save
\nthe whole world,
\nbut we can,\u00a0 each of us,\u00a0 today
\nand everyday
\ndo
\none
\nsmall
\nthing<\/p>\n
in kindness<\/p>\n
as you will always find
\nit matters\u00a0 \u2665<\/p>\n
\u201cDo the good that is in front of you, even if it feels small.\u201d\u00a0 ~ Sharon Salzberg<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n <\/p>\n addendum to this story:\u00a0 Mrs. Pedden,\u00a0 It’s Mrs. Pedden,\u00a0 \u00a0i love my son..\u00a0 brilliant lad!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" What I\u2019ve been thinking about lately is an elderly lady in my neighbourhood who I had a very special friendship with, though we really didn\u2019t speak very often.\u00a0 For most of their years of elementary school I walked my children…
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