Reminded of Blessings

Rain, glorious rain, we’re happy to see it!
Come down on our heads, We’re happy to get it. . .
Rain, glorious rain!

Okay, not a great verse, but if you’ve ever seen “Ice Age II – The Meltdown”, sing that to the “Food, Glorious Food” tune. (Jonathan knows that one sticks in my head…. I sing it every time we go to the grocery store.)

Yes, after weeks of deadly dryness, the water level falling in the pond, and crunchy grass in the pastures, what a blessing to finally get some rain. I got soaking wet opening gates to allow the animals to get in their shelters, and was thrilled to feel all that unaccustomed water falling on me outside. Who knows how long it will last, but I guess we’ll just have to be thankful for whatever we get.

And while on the subject of being thankful, I just received a phone call that reminded me how very fortunate I am, and how much I have to be thankful for.

I didn’t know the lady who called, but she soon apprised me of who she was and how she knew ME. It seems she was a sort of step-daughter-in-law (long story) to one of the veteran’s I wrote to. She lived in the same area as the nursing home he was in, so would sometimes check in on him.

I’d already guessed her news, as earlier this week I had a letter returned from the nursing home. Yes, sad to say, but my sweetheart of a veteran had passed away.

Even sadder to say, his two sons did not bother to attend the funeral. It seems Dad didn’t have any money left to hand out, so they hadn’t been in contact with their father for years. My caller informed me there were very few people at the funeral, and that it was a pretty dismal affair.

Later, when she started going through his meager possessions, she kept seeing stuff with my name on it. Letters, pictures, tapes – he had kept every letter I’d sent him. She looked at the letters and listened to some of the tapes, and realized we had been in correspondence for some time. Yes, it had been about four years.

After explaining all this, she came to the main reason for her call. She wanted to thank me for being there for Dick, for “giving him a window to the outside world”, and caring for him when he had so few people who bothered, including his own sons.

Wow.

What a mix of emotions. I’m sad he’s gone. I’m even sadder he had so few people that let him know they cared about him. I’m honored that I could be one of them.

Now multiply his predicament by tens, hundreds, thousands of lonely people. It makes me very thankful to be so blessed, and have so many people who care for me! What a comfort to know I have family and friends who keep in touch and are concerned about what happens to me.

Sometimes we take it for granted when we have a loving family and friends, and don’t realize how blessed we are until something happens to remind us.

I’m reminded. How about you?