Whom We Touch

While I’ve been off TV for a while now there are still fans who drop me a line to let me know how they are doing. Most email. Some write letters or cards.  I’m always glad to hear from you.

After my last separation… about, oh, it must be almost 11 years now…  I talked about no longer getting wrapped pressies for my birthday. I’m not sure if that’s what motivated them, but a couple of fans on PEI sent me a birthday present box on my birthday.  The box arrived with the presents all individually wrapped. Inside were some of my favourite things – so these guys were really paying attention

In my first box I got something for the garden, something for my birds, a lovely pack of tea, a sweet treat… a couple other things that escape me right now; these were the things I most often liked to indulge in. But I could never say “thanks” because the PEI peeps only identified themselves by their first names.

When that first box came, I was stunned-surprised. Wow! Just Wow!  These were the only wrapped gifts I got for my birthday. (BTW I don’t hide where I’m from, but they also had my full address so… determined.) When the next year ANOTHER box of presents arrived, I was gobsmacked. What a lucky woman I am.

Anyhoo, I got a letter from Patty (I’m calling her Patty, privacy and stuff, y’know) a few weeks ago. Patty wrote to tell me that her husband, David, had died.

David committed suicide on a Saturday. The following week I posted a blog and Patty read it. She was writing to thank me for the blog. She said that reading that blog gave her the strength she needed to get through those early days.

I cried. I cried and I cried. And I cried. I went to bed early, tossed and turned, and wondered how I could possibly respond. What would I say? What words were there for this?

I found some words, wrote them to Patty, and set this episode aside for a time. I came back to it today.

A friend asked me a question and I flashed back to the previous blog and all the wonderful comments you all left for me after I posted it. Thank you.

All this is to say, we go ‘round this life just once. Every time we make someone smile, every time we tell the truth, every time we watch out for the other guy, every time we respond to hate with love (this is MY biggest challenge cos I just wanna deck ‘em), every time we do something that brings joy to someone else’s life, we earn the feathers that become the wings, which carry us up, UP and away.

David has taken flight. Patty is still here. And if you read this “Patty,” I want you to know how moved and grateful I was for your letter. I so appreciate the effort and the kindness you shared with me.

I know I’m not writing as much as I had planned when I started blogging again. So much that I’d write would be full of rage (at the current level of bigotry, hate and downright stupidity) and I’m trying to live a gentle life. But I do love sharing my thoughts with you all. So thanks for coming by from time to time to check up on me.  Happy day to you!