From Lydia Armstrong:
Jamie and family,
I know this is late,
and I'm sorry, but I kept waiting for some really excellent opportunity to do
something really nice for someone to come along, and it didn't. But I work at a
retirement home, in the dining room, and it's sort of my job to do nice things
for people all day. I make sure Mr. Beverly's bread is always toasted on his
sandwiches. When Eulah comes to lunch a half hour after the dining room has
closed, like she does every day, I make her something to eat and pat her
shoulder when she starts to cry at her own confusion. I gave Mr. Jackson an
extra piece of spice cake and asked him how he was settling in. I try to make
the new people feel welcome and the longtime residents feel important. I always
go across the hall to the activities room to see what new puzzle Betty and Al
are working on, and I always put a few pieces in. I know everyone's name, which
seems simple and kind of obvious but the other day I said hello to Lucille and
she said, "Thank you for knowing my name. That helps." There are
other things, stuff like acknowledging people and remembering little
things.
Hope you all had a lovely
Christmas, and happy New Year.
From Triet Le:
On my flight from
Richmond to Oklahoma one week before Christmas Eve, I met a woman named Vickie.
She was on my right, next to the airplane window. After a few minutes of
silence and awkwardness, we said “hi” to each other and started talking.
Miss Vickie had just visited her sick mother and was on her way
back to Los Angeles to celebrate Christmas with her daughters. It had been many
years since they had had a reunion on this joyous occasion. Besides, she
had just divorced an abusive husband.“This Christmas will be better than the
past few years,” she cheerfully said.
I was genuinely happy for her. Her willingness to share the
deeply personal stories touched me and urged me to do something. So I decided
to make a sketch of her as a way to remember this friendly, opened and
benevolent woman. I asked her for the permission. She resisted by saying she
was old and not beautiful. I said I would do my best and she hesitantly
agreed.
Thirty minutes of concentration passed and the sketch was done.
Though I was not satisfied with it, I showed her anyway. She remarked that it
made her feel old, which she said was the fact. Nevertheless, she liked it,
especially the contemplative eyes.
“It’s the first time someone has drawn my portrait.”
“I would like to give this sketch to you. Would you like to have
it?"
She gladly accepted it. I was honored to be the first person to
draw her portrait. My greater honor was to give her a little joy before
Christmas.
After the plane landed and before saying goodbye, to my surprise,
she pulled out a grey scarf from her hand bag and gave me. I thanked her and
felt so grateful.
Happy New Year, Mr. James.
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