I received a Thanksgiving gift on Saturday, Nov. 28. I suppose most people do not consider a letter as being much of a gift, but this letter was. As part of an outreach program at my church, I have made regular personal visits for the past several years to two elderly church members who find it very difficult to attend church.
One of these individuals is an elderly gentleman. After the COVID-19 outbreak, I tried to stay in contact with him by phone. However, because of both hearing and vision struggles, I found it easier to just write an occasional note. I wrote him one for Thanksgiving. I did not say much, just that I was thinking of him.
On Saturday, I received a letter from him. Thankfully, the post office was able to decipher my address on the envelope. The one-page letter was written on a lined letter-size notebook paper. With a wide tipped black pen, he clearly wrote a thank you for my note to “my great friend.” By the end of the letter, I could not make out all of the words. It doesn’t matter. I cherish this letter as an unexpected gift from a person who gave it all he had to write to his friend.
I don’t think that I will be able to celebrate Thanksgiving ever again without being thankful for this elderly gentleman, and for his unintentional gift.
