>This
last day of the year I am reflecting upon some of its happenings as
probably many of you are as well. Was it a good year? Have you had better? I have
had better, but somehow I am going to try to salvage it with some good and
positive memories.
The first one is about a PEAR -- a Bartlett to be exact. You know- the ones
that are a beautiful shade of green and which when bitten into release a delicious
syrupy taste with each tantalizing bite. Yes, I am exaggerating- but not by much if you
are a pear lover.
This late summer day, I was shopping at Marc's which has pretty much
everything you could want to buy. When I approached the store, I saw a young man who
was probably Chinese -strumming on a guitar while sitting on one of the benches near
the store. His guitar case was opened and revealed the many dollar bills grateful
listeners had rewarded him with. I would add mine after doing my shopping.
Maybe I came out 30 to 45 minutes later and he was still there. I then
duly deposited my dollar bill in his guitar case, but as I walked by, I wondered -- did anyone
offer this young man a cool drink of water at least? Well, I didn't see any evidence of
this so I promptly dove into my groceries and pulled out --yes a plump, green Bartlett pear.
Holding the pear by its stem, I headed back toward him. I could clearly see a smile on his
face as I handed it to him. I also saw delight as he took his first bite out of that
refreshing piece of fruit. But he wasn't the only one who experienced joy --I think I probably felt it
even more.
Of course, the moral of this little account is to never miss an opportunity
to do something kind for someone-no matter how small it may seem. And pears seem to be my
vehicle of choice in this matter -- though not by design. On another occasion I was checking
out my groceries which included pears -- this time of the Bosc variety -- the ones with the
warm tan coloring and which are every bit as delicious as the Bartlett. A lady following me in
line with her groceries commented to her husband how delicious- looking were those pears I was
buying. After they were rung up, I immediately put one into her hands. I think she was
pleasantly surprised,
and of course, I again experienced another simple but rewarding feeling of
joy.
The next act of kindness was prompted by reading an obituary of a
comparatively young woman. Her niece had written one so beautiful that I had wondered why I
had not seen her aunt in the same beautiful light. But be that as it may, it made me
think -- did this niece show her aunt all the love and affection that she was now showing in her
obit?
It prompted me to take the time to write all the memories of my dear
sister now -- while she was alive instead of writing these thoughts when she was gone. I wrote
many of the wonderful memories of her kindnesses to me and others. I even went back to
when we were young and to the time when she took my younger sister and me to downtown
Cleveland on those wonderful streetcars of long ago for a movie and lunch. I also
marveled at some of her gifts -- she is a great driver and though only 5' 2" tall, she one time
drove a huge used Cadillac. In comparison, I even have a hard time driving my Comet.
I experienced great joy in putting her "obituary" together, and I included
pictures of her and us. I think it's a great idea for anyone who wants to show gratitude to a
loved one and not save those heartfelt words for a funeral mass or in an obituary.
So, 2015 had some good remembrances for me. Maybe if I try harder and
forget about the bad memories, I will find more to be grateful for.
1
1
1
