This Happened On Thanksgiving
"I have a sad story to tell. One that may or may not make us think about life and our place in this world. Shortly after moving into this beautiful house, I noticed someone living close by in a cluster of trees by the railroad tracks. He was older, maybe 75 or 80. It was hard to tell. Life had not been kind to him. Yet, there was a gentleness about him. On sunny days, he would stand in the middle of the field for hours, closing his eyes and letting the sun illuminate the whole of his body. He was always quite and I always made an effort each morning to glance his direction. Perhaps it was a silent good morning. Rainy season started. Someone had brought him a couple of blankets. It seemed as if he was keeping dry and his body looked thick with extra clothing. Days went by and I would notice him walking with a coffee cup from downtown back to his 'house'. The weather started to turn cold. I thought of gathering a bag of blankets and tarps, warm socks and such to give to him but life filled my head with everyday matters concerning kids and such. Thanksgiving day came, and everyone gathered a plate for our neighbor (that's how I thought of him). We piled it high and walked it to him. He reluctantly took it and we went back inside to a warm, fragrant house. I thought about taking him pie and coffee in the morning...It was cold last night. Extremely cold. Ice laced the plants and crunched beneath heavy shoes in the early morning. George went to walk the dogs and came back in a hurry, dismayed by the police tape that surrounded our house and the field behind. I found myself running towards the policeman, who in a few short sentences told me what I already knew. 'It was really cold last night'. he explained. Yes, It was. And now I sit, engulfed with sadness and the guilt of perhaps not being a good enough neighbor, or person. All I can do now is tell his story and remember him standing behind the house, his face lit with sunshine, as if he and God were one. Perhaps now they are."
I am thankful for you in my life
Chris
(this is a letter from my sister today)