Nov. 30, 2021

LOVE, KINDNESS, CARING---PAY IT FORWARD.

What does love cost?  Who can place a value on love?   Love is ageless.  And, it can’t be measured or weighed yet, it can be large enough to consume an entire city--or country--or The Entire World. Recently, I opened a small envelope, sent with only a single stamp, and found enough love to last a lifetime.  

Regardless of age, there is a child inside each of us. As I mature, the little girl in me--forever young-- comes out to play more often---to question the meaning of life, and to remember the tender/sweet moments from the past.

 Two days ago, I experienced a particularly stressful, troublesome day. Some days are simply that--troublesome days that require you to climb over obstacle after obstacle of “to-do” trash; to answer endless calls from California or Maine or Tennessee so a recording can threaten you over some bogus student loan debt; or force you to answer the phone at 2 am so some thick-accented male … can beg you to send fresh breast milk to orphans in Guatemala.

Today, my daily trip to the mailbox wasn’t anticipating anything exciting.  Like most days, I expected to find the usual utility bills, cable advertisements, coupons for hearing-aids, a promotion for grownup diapers, and insurance companies pushing limited-time discounts for funeral arrangements---just more unwanted junk for the garbage. But today--hidden among the expected-- I found the unexpected---in the form of a handwritten envelope with a return address marked Cheney, Washington.

The little girl in me, overwhelmed with curiosity and excitement, quickly tore-open the envelope, and, inside, found an adorable card featuring a photo of a little girl sharing these words:

“If not for you, someone who needed love would have gone without it. There would be one less smile--one less laugh-- one less hug—and---the song of life might have skipped a beat. If not for you-- something special would be missing.”

With Love… Cyndee.

Not only were these meaningful words printed on the card but a piece of yellow paper and a check were also inside. And, that’s when both the little-girl-in-me and the big-girl-in-me---cried.

“Sally, I am enclosing a check for the purchase of one book. The remaining $28.00 is to cover the person who didn’t pay for the book you sent them. Thank you for being an inspiration to me and to others. Your Facebook Friend, Cyndee."

Yes, The-little-girl-in-me looks forward to every day, believing something good is just minutes from happening. She keeps me hopeful and--she helps me remember there are good people--with good hearts--who love and care for others----like me.

Thank you my dear friend, Cyndee.

From, Sally… and the little girl in me.