Dear List - this made me cry and I wanted to share with you my recent experience and why I have not been on the list much at all.
I have been a little pre occupied this past few weeks emailing a friend that I had met on the net. He is an elderly man who by chance found my site and asked if he could "chat" to me as he had tried some chat sites and found them yucky. I replied hesitantly at first thinking it strange that some old guy in USA wanted a pen pal in Australia however he said that he had tried others and had nobody write back. I had replied to him and so I figured what harm could he do really?? He sent me some jokes and I sent some back over the past 12months we have gradually got to know each other a little. Just after Christmas I got a christmas greeting from him yet he was worried about his wife who he had been caring for with demetia and parkinsons, he had been to the hospital and had her on antibiotics for pneumonia - I told him that it was good that they had her on medication and that hopefully she would be better soon. I wished her well and sent my best to them for a Happy New Year! only to get this reply - 'Dear Rhonda: So nice to get your letter this am. I found *** (wife) asleep in her chair this AM about 9am with dog on her lap but she had been gone too long for them to revive. She had a bad heart and the medicine for pneumonia was helping (I guess) but she had a bad heart too so that all could be part of the situation. Will keep in touch later. Thanx 4 writing.' This was on the 28th of December and I have since found out that they had no children, had no family left alive and he is pretty much alone except for the two dogs and a dementia support group that he went to. I have been keeping in touch with him by email to help him through this time and somehow feel that our chance meeting was for this purpose. He got home from the funeral and emailed me a long letter which was more a way for him to grieve and I read his letter with such care as it was so special. (I found myself thinking -What harm could it do to chat to this person? ---What harm would I have done if I had not replied? That is my question now.) It is amazing how things happen isn't it. People come into our lives for so many reasons and how we treat and respect others is so much more important than we realise. Regards Rhonda > Dear Andrea, > Thank you posting that story. I have just got home > from a pre natal class which I had hoped to get away from on time,but > didn't. A young woman stayed back to talk to me.She has recently moved to > this city, knows few people yet,partner in Timor and won't be home for > baby's birth,embarressed to be at classes by herself and is concerned about > becoming depressed .I stayed chatting for 25 minutes and after reading your > post am so glad I did,as its true that we never truly know the impact of our > words. > > Linda----------------------------------------------------- > Click here for Free Video!! > http://www.gohip.com/free_video/ > > ----- Original Message ----- > From: Ian & Andrea Quanchi <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > To: Oz Midwifery <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>; KREMLERJ > <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>; Kim & Andrew Plant > <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>; Majda & Ash Cooper > <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>; Merryn Auldist <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>; Alma A. > Arce <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>; Danny Aguila <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>; Mike Delbar > <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>; AJ Kirton <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>; Fran > Sheean <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>; Jan Eeles <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>; > Lesley Murphy <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>; Lyn Oliver <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>; Ruth > <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > Sent: Tuesday, January 08, 2002 5:42 PM > Subject: Information please > > > > I don't usually send things like this to the list but this bought a tear > > to my eyes so I decided to send it on > > Andrea Q > > > > Information Please??? > > When I was quite young, my father had one of the first telephones in our > > > > neighborhood. I remember well, the polished old case fastened to the > > wall and the shiny receiver on the side of the box. I was too little > > to reach the telephone, but used to listen with fascination when my > > mother would talk to it. Then I discovered that somewhere inside the > > wonderful device lived an amazing person and her name was "Information > > Please" and there was nothing she did not know. "Information Please > > "could supply anybody's number and the correct time. > > > > My first personal experience with this genie-in-a-bottle came one day > > while my mother was visiting a neighbor. Amusing myself at the tool > > bench in the basement. I whacked my finger with hammer. The pain was > > terrible but, there didn't seem to be any reason in crying because > > there was no one home to give me sympathy. I walked around the house > > sucking my throbbing finger, finally arriving at the stairway, The > > telephone! > > > > Quickly, I ran for the footstool in the parlor and held it to my ear. > > "Information Please" I said into the mouthpiece just above my head. A > > click or two and a small clear voice spoke into my ear. "Information." > > "I hurt my finger!" I wailed into the phone. The tears came readily > > enough now that I had an audience. > > "Isn't your mother home?" came the question. > > "Nobody's home but me," I blubbered. > > "Are you bleeding?" the voice asked. > > "No," I replied. "I hit my finger with a hammer and it hurts." > > "Can you open your icebox?" she asked. I said I could. "Then chip off a > > piece of ice and hold it to your finger," said the voice. > > > > After that, I called "Information Please" for everything. I asked her > > for > > help with my geography and she told me where Philadelphia was. She > > helped me with my math. She told me that my pet chipmunk, which I had > > caught in the park just the day before, would eat fruit and nuts. > > > > Then there was the time Petey, our pet canary died. I called > > "Information Please" and told her the sad story. She listened, then > > said the usual thing grown ups say to soothe a child. But, I was > > inconsolable. I asked her, "Why is it that birds should sing so > > beautifully and bring joy to all families, only to end up as a heap of > > feathers on the bottom of a cage?" > > > > She must have sensed my deep concern, for she said quietly, "Paul, you > > must remember that there are other worlds to sing in." Somehow, I felt > > better. > > > > Another day I was on the telephone. "Information Please". > > > > "Information," said the now familiar voice. "How do you spell fix?'" I > > asked. All this took place in a small town in the Pacific Northwest. > > When I was nine years old, we moved across the country to Boston. I > > missed my friend very much. "Information Please" belonged in that old > > wooden box back home and somehow I never thought of trying the tall, new > > shiny phone that sat on the table in the hall. > > > > As I grew into my teens, the memories of those childhood conversations > > never really left me. Often, in moments of doubt and perplexity I would > > recall the serene sense of security I had then. I appreciated now how > > patient, understanding and kind she was to have spent her time on a > > little boy. > > > > A few years later, on my way west to college, my plane put down in > > Seattle. I had about half-an-hour or so between planes. I spent 15 > > minutes or so on the phone with my sister, who lived there now. Then, > > without thinking about what I was doing, I dialed my hometown operator > > and said, "Information Please." > > > > Miraculously, I heard the small clear voice I knew so well. > > "Information." > > > > I hadn't planned this, but I heard myself saying, "Could you please tell > > me how to spell fix?" > > > > There was a long pause. Then came the soft spoken answer, "I guess your > > finger must be healed by now." > > > > I laughed, "So it's really still you," I said. "I wonder if you have any > > > > idea how much you meant to me during that time?" > > "I wonder," she said, "if you know how much your calls meant to me. I > > never had any children and I used to look forward to your calls." I > > told her how often I had thought of her over the years and asked if I > > could call her again when I came back to visit my sister. > > > > "Please do," she said. "Just ask for Sally." > > > > Three months later I was back in Seattle. A different voice answered, > > "Information." I asked for Sally. "Are you a friend?" she said. > > "Yes, a very old friend," I answered. > > "I'm sorry to have to tell you this," she said. "Sally had been working > > > > part time in the last few years because she was sick. She died five > > weeks ago." > > > > Before I could hang up she said, "Wait a minute. Are you Paul?" > > "Yes". > > "Well, Sally left a message for you. She wrote it down in case you > > called. Let me read it to you." The note said, "Tell him I still say > > there are other worlds to sing in. He'll know what I mean." > > > > I thanked her and hung up. I knew what Sally meant. > > > > Never underestimate the impression you make on others. > > > > -- > > This mailing list is sponsored by ACE Graphics. > > Visit <http://www.acegraphics.com.au> to subscribe or unsubscribe. > > -- > This mailing list is sponsored by ACE Graphics. > Visit <http://www.acegraphics.com.au> to subscribe or unsubscribe. > -- This mailing list is sponsored by ACE Graphics. 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