I received a wonderful card in the mail yesterday. It has a black cat on the front, and a saying about how everyone needs a dog to love her and a cat to ignore her.
Inside, which was originally blank, someone had written, “Thank you for being my foster mom.” It was signed “Edgar.” (Yes, I still have my foster cat.)
It happened that yesterday was my wedding anniversary. It was the fourth anniversary I’ve had since my husband died, so it was a day of remembering, and of being sad that he isn’t here to celebrate with me.
Receiving such a fun card in the mail cheered me enormously. And, since I didn’t recognize the hand writing, I had a mystery to solve. Who had sent the card?
First I asked Marilyn, who said she wished she had been thoughtful enough to send it but it wasn’t from her. Next I asked Mark, who has been known to send me anonymous packages containing things like chocolate carrots. He swore it wasn’t from him.
My third guess proved right: Jenny and Jerry. Jerry’s been in the hospital for two months and I’ve been sending him a card each week so they decided to send me one. They did not know when my anniversary was and had no idea their card would arrive on that day. What a happy coincidence. We never know when a small gesture of friendship will have a positive impact far beyond what we anticipate.
The same is true of words. I was sad to read in my morning paper of the death of opera star Beverly Sills. Years ago, when I read her autobiography, one sentence jumped out at me: “There are no shortcuts to any place worth going.”
This seemed a perfect motto for a writer and I have used it as a favorite quote many times. I never met Beverly Sills, but her words – that one sentence – gave me motivation and determination many times.
I hope that something I write will help someone else to keep trying, and to strive to be the best that they can be.