Nice things!

So...some days I resort to online "writing prompts" (en lieu of some English teacher standing in front of me with an assignment) to give me creative writing ideas. Today's prompt was: "What is the nicest thing you have done for someone?"

Well. Matthew 6:3 (KJV, because that's how my mind thinks...) says, " let not thy left hand know what thy right hand doeth:" and this is regarding outward show of religious duties. So I am going to turn the table somewhat, and discuss some nice things others have done for me!

In my early motherhood, in Michigan and far away from family, daughter Claire underwent several months of medical tests which were sometimes hours-long and not at all what the kindergartener SHE wanted to be doing that day, needles and nurses and all, and the whole time was sad and trying for me. One morning I got a call from my backdoor neighbor, who simply said, "I will bring dinner over for y'all tonight because I know you will be having a long day." Bless Mary's heart. (She was from Arkansas, I was from Oklahoma, we were kindred Southern spirits in the great North...) I still think of that day as one of the nicest, NICEST things anyone could have ever done for me. It was totally unexpected, and I was oh, so grateful.

Mrs. Harris and Mrs. Davis were two old ladies in our church who did our Sunday School music for us. Now, looking back from my 49-year old vantage point, I suspect they weren't QUITE as geriatric as I took them for back then. They had us grade school kids sing old hymns out of old hymnals. I think we kids were OK with it. My friend Sarah always requested singing Onward Christian Soldiers. I suspect we all have that one memorized, even now. Last week I was listening to a radio station that plays old hymns and such. A song came on that immediately took me back to the First United Methodist Church in Pryor Creek, Oklahoma, some 40 years ago: Peace Be Still. It's a story/song about Jesus calming the waters in the fishing boat. My goodness, how many times in the midst of thunderstorms (see previous blog) have I mentally sung this song verbatim?? Thank you two ladies, post mortem, for your time with us kids. It has had a lasting effect.

We moved here to rural Kansas in late August, seven years ago. In late October, the week before Halloween, in fact, I got a late-evening phone call. Mrs. Crenshaw from down the way was inviting our family to the Crenshaw Annual Halloween get-together at their house at Shamrock Farms. The Crenshaws are semi-retired ranchers who are stalwarts in this region. We Armstrongs knew very, very few people in this rural area, and we were even in a quandary as to what to do with young son Graham, regarding Trick-or-Treating. We, family of five, put on forced smiles and made our way to the few homes in our area. It was hard. The kids had always had a huge neighborhood full of families and friends with which to cavort on Halloween night. This was just painful for all of us. We knew noone! As soon as we got through the requisite T-or-T'ing, we made our way to Shamrock Farms for what we anticipated would be yet more pain in our already uncomfortable evening. Oh, such a pleasant surprise! The Crenshaws could not have been more gracious hosts. They are so kind. George and June made sure that we made the rounds, met everyone, and that everyone knew just where we lived ("you know, the old Wilson place.") And now, seven years later, we look forward to our October phone call, and we get over to the Crenshaws for the Halloween fried donuts and cider. A more gracious welcome for newcomers into this area could not have been asked for!