Hey Rhonda, What a special person you are, With love, Sue Cookson > 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. > Visit <http://www.acegraphics.com.au> to subscribe or unsubscribe.
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