AN EARLY CHRISTMAS
Sometimes I think things happen for a
reason. Recently I noticed that a local
radio station has started playing Christmas music much too early again this
year. Don’t get me wrong, I like
Christmas music as much as the next person but it’s hard to get in the mood
when it’s 60 degrees plus and the sun is shining bright.
On this particular day I had gone to
lunch with my wife at a local restaurant that we had eaten at many times
before. The only strange thing was the
restaurant had moved over one street since the last time we had been there and
had opened in a brand new building. I
admit the food was still good but the atmosphere left something to be
desired. Maybe it was just too new, I
don’t know. Anyway, back to the holiday
story.
So we had our lunch, paid and left
the restaurant. When we walked across
the parking lot we spotted an elderly woman, about my mom’s age (early
eighties) who was sitting in a 70 something Red Oldsmobile station wagon with
what could have only been all of her worldly possessions in there with her. The Olds was full to the windows with all of
the things that made this woman’s life complete but when she hit the key the
engine made that clicking noise. You know
the one that says “you ain’t goin’ nowhere.”
My wife and I looked at each other and without a word we knew we had to
help the lady in the Olds.
But running through my head was the
fact that without my dad’s, union won, pension and survivor’s benefit this
could be my mother! Without the UAW
health care benefits this could be my mom; stranded behind a restaurant. A place she had probably come to get a warm
meal . . . out of the dumpster, with all her worldly belongings and an easy
target for those who would take advantage of her situation.
Well, we pulled around the
restaurant, hooked up the cables and jumped the Oldsmobile. The old wagon leaped to life and with a
little smoke and rattle she was off.
Before she left she thanked us and blessed us but we already had all the
blessings that we needed. That feeling
you get when you help someone out, especially when it’s someone young, old or
in a bad way. Our holiday season was
complete.
As we drove off I looked for that
station with the Christmas music. I
guess it wasn’t too early after all.
