Mrs C and the little black books

Sitting sipping her coffee, she gets a text from her youngest daughter with a code for the pick-up box next to the mailboxes. She thinks I did not order anything, and puts the code out of her mind. The next day when checking the mail she inputs the code and pulls the legal size envelope from the box noticing the Address Evans, Taylor, & Merrick law firm.

Opening the envelope there are twenty little black books, a letter and check for $20,000.00. What fraud is this crosses her mind first. but then she reads the letter, and it says she was left the books and the money from a Mrs. Charles Anderson for kindness shown when you were her neighbor. She opens the little black book and in it are dates, times, and acts of kindness noted going back 20 years. Mrs.”C” as my children and I called her, had written down every kind thing my family had ever done for her.

01.01.1995 new neighbors move in they have four children As Charlie sits outside the children come over and introduce themselves and listen to him tell them stories. He looks so happy. Their mom says to them were you invited or did you invite yourself? They say in unison we were invited. Their mom’s name is Rachelle and the Dad’s name is David. The kids David Jr, Da’Jana, Sade and Chelsea.

02.05.1995 Charlie is happy again, he gets up out of the bed and goes outside the kids next door always have time for him. He is sculpting again he made bears, and ponies and other little animals for the kids. Rachelle came over and brought us a pound cake to thank us for being so kind to her children. She says her parents are dead and David mom live in Louisiana so the kids do not have grandparents. It makes me so happy she just adopted us into her family.

09.30.1997 Charlie is not feeling well he has been to the Dr. But will not tell me what the Dr says. Rachelle looked at him today and said Mr. Charlie you do not look so good what is going on with you? He tried to pass it off but she did not let him off the hook. Charlie has cancer, she came over and gave him a hug.

10.01.1998 It is so quiet in the house Charlie funeral was today. The kids came over and brought me so much food. Rachelle has checked on me everyday since Charlie died. It is so lonely. Rachelle came over and sat with me today after everyone left, she let me talk about Charlie.

08.19.20000 David died and Rachelle is trying to hold it together she came over and talked to me about how scared she is for her children. She ask how am I feeling and have I taken my meds.

And on and on daily life doing launder, cutting the grass, bring a meal, just being kind. As I read on and on I look over to the left on my desk sits two bears Mr. Charlie carved for me through all my life and all my trials I still have the bears and remember they belong on the left.

At the end of the little black book, she had written a personal note telling me how much she had appreciated the support she received from my family and me and how it affected her quality of life. This was just a “token” of her appreciation and she hoped it would be a blessing to me, as I had been to her.

I sat, cried, and cried as I thought about how Lonely she must have been and those moments really of time out of my day brighten her day. I call my children in a group chat and we have a great time remembering Mrs. “C””.

The moral of this story is: Kindness is free, and it only takes a few moments of your time to make a world of difference in someone else’s life.