Gifts When We Least Expect Them

By Doug MacDonald

 story reminded me of a similiar experience I had recently, when I stopped to help a stranger.

I, too, was driving about to to go about my business when I heard an elderly woman calling to me. It was freezing out and I was hurrying to get in my building. As the woman approached me, I realized that she did not speak English very well, but I quickly gathered that she needed a ride so I found myself helping her in the back seat of my car, unsure of where she needed to go.

As we were driving, she started to tell me what a "nice boy" I was for giving her a ride and how she need to go to this store to buy some gifts for her grandchildren. Soon, she was crying and telling me how she lost her 45 year-old son around Christmas four years ago and she buried her husband two years later.

I didn't know what to say, so I just listened to this lovely elderly woman share her heartache with someone she had just met.

We continued on our journey which lasted about 15 minutes and I found the Dollar Store she was looking for on Route 16. As I dropped her off at the front door and proceeded to lead her through the entrance, I cracked a little joke about this first class service. She turned to me and gave me the biggest hug and wished me a merry Christmas. She said that God will look out for me.

Driving away, I had tears in my eyes thinking about all this woman's pain and how she still had the spirit to walk in the freezing cold with no gloves on and only a kerchief on her head to get what I'm assuming were gifts for her great grandchildren.

The reason why I am sharing this story is because I too have a tough time around the holidays and I was feeling sorry for myself. Then lo and behold, this woman with all her pain gave me a gift I will never forget.

For more holiday memories shared by your neighbors, you can read:

• by Patty Kelley.
• by Diane Grant.