I stood at his door, a bag of goodies in one hand and a Woman’s World magazine in the other. “Here,” I said. “I think you should read this.”
Steven reached out and took the magazine from my hand and scanned the short article. “You’re famous,” he said.
I shook my head. “No, you are.”
The article in the January 31, 2022, issue of Woman’s World magazine said it all. Steven provided the kindness. I simply wrote the tribute.
Circle of Kindness: Readers share little reminders of how much goodness there is in the world.
“HE DID OUR GROCERY SHOPPING!” At the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic, I felt very issolated. Age and health concerns put me in the “at risk” category, and my kids were far away and couldn’t visit. The kindness of my younger friend, Steven, made it easier to shelter. He volunteered to grocery shop for me and several other older friends. A whole year passed, and still Steven was devotedly shopping for multiple families. He was working full-time at home, but he carved out time to shop for us. He continued the weekly shopping trips until the vaccine became available and we were able to resume shopping for ourselves. His kindness will never be forgotten! –by Rose Owens
Covid-19 is a thief. It has stolen people I love. In-person contact with family and friends has been curtailed. Travel plans have changed. Many events were cancelled. Feelings of security have vanished, leaving behind fear and anxiety. My grandchildren’s education has been compromised. Smiles are now hidden behind masks. Some of my favorite restaurants are only a memory now.
But Covid-19 is also a giver. I look harder and remember the acts of kindness, appreciate closer connections with distant relatives, and the new technology skills I have learned. I have new online friendships with people I might never have met in “real” life. I have enjoyed online events that I otherwise wouldn’t have been able to attend because of cost or distance. I have acquired new hobbies and interests.
I dig in my heels and say, “No more. You cannot take what I will not let you have. You cannot erase my connections to the people I love. You cannot steal my personal peace and security. You cannot compromise my optimism and willingness to serve. You cannot destroy my hope in a better future. You cannot keep me from being me.”