Recently I was sent a sizable package of seeds for relating a story in a contest here. I am starting this thread, and asking that you post your Best Christmas Ever Story. I am looking for acts of kindness toward those around you, or if you have been a recipient of kindness during the holiday season. I think we need to be reminded from time to time of the goodness of people. I will read the stories, and will judge them. The winner will be sent a package of seeds. This will close on December 11, 2005, at 12:00 noon, and I will post the winner's name. Now let's hear those stories. This would be good for newbies. I have also posted this thread in General Discussion.
This message was edited Dec 5, 2005 10:39 PM
CLOSED: Pay It Forward
I don't know how I could pic just one person right now. The request I made for seeds since the loss of my home/plants to Katrina has been over whelming. I could not even begin to imagine the kind of response and the huge amounts of seeds I have recieved. Everyone one here is so generous and thoughtful that I couldn't pic just one person. Thank you all
Hey Defoe, glad to see you "paying it forward" and starting another wonderful thread on the subject. I love stories like these. I have a story to tell, which many of you may have heard before, but it's probably my most life-changing event. It didn't occur around Christmas, but any day you get a gift, it's Christmas, right? And that Christmas spirit is great to share throughout the year. (Isn't that why the diamond jewelers have Christmas in July? LOL)
In Feb. a year ago, I learned I had a cervical tumor which had been bleeding for several months. I was dehydrated, in a lot of pain from (undiagnosed at the time) kidney stones, anemic and fatigued. The doc said I needed immediate surgery to remove the tumor which could be cancerous, or I could "soon bleed to death". However he wanted his money before he'd do the surgery. I didn't have the money (just a po' gal here). I was too sick to work to earn the money. I make my living with plants and was unable to do much in the garden. And I was spending quite a bit of my time sleeping.
I contacted Medicaid and was told I didn't qualify. I contacted other organizations and no one would help. Several months went by as I got sicker. Then I discovered a cancer group called Breast Care in Little Rock, 2.5 hrs away from where I live. The nurse Evonne (whom I'd never met) tried for a few weeks to get their group to cover my medical expenses, but because they didn't know IF I had cancer, they couldn't agree to it. We couldn't biopsy the tumor until AFTER the surgery because a biopsy could rupture the tumor and I bleed to death. And the doc wouldn't do the surgery without his fee up front since I had no insurance. So I didn't have surgery.
Evonne called every month to check on me and see if I had found funding. And each time, I was more depressed and sicker. In Feb. of this year, she called and I was hopeless. I was resigned to the fact that I was going to bleed to death. And at the time, I was in so much pain that I welcomed death. Evonne cried with me on the phone.
A few days later, I got a call from a female gyne who wanted to schedule a pre-op exam. I was quite surprised! Within two weeks, I had the surgery which gave me my life back, thanks to Evonne.
Her job could have ended with "I'm sorry, but we can't fund your surgery." That was all that was required of her according to her job description. But she didn't stop. She called monthly to check on me, to offer support to a complete stranger in need. And she kept hunting, making phone calls, etc., until she found funding for my life-saving surgery.
Evonne is also a gardener and some of you may remember I packed up a bunch of special plants for her and the gyne who did the surgery. Evonne made it to my Garden Party in May and we met for the first time. I had written her a lengthy letter explaining her importance in my life and how much I appreciated her caring. And her supervisor, who also came to the party, presented Evonne with an award.
Evonne has received several awards since then, and she tells me it's all because of my letter, which has circulated throughout their organization. She was recently in Atlanta, where she received the Woman of Color award. And she called to tell me that my letter won her the award.
But really she doesn't get it. It's not my letter. It's her devotion and determination to make my life better that won her the award. And it blows my mind everytime she thanks me, because I owe my life to her. She went the extra mile for me, not expecting a thing from me, because she's an angel.
There's not a day that goes by that I don't think of her and count myself lucky to have crossed paths with her. Without her, I wouldn't be here now, I'm sure. I have a picture of her on my desk and I'll post one here so you guys can see my guardian angel.
Defoe, I think you know I have more seeds than Thompson & Morgan, so I am not competing for the seeds. I just wanted to share my story again. Thanks for the opportunity.
BC
Thanks Butterfly, I had read it before, but it bears repeating.
Bonnie
thats a great picture such wonderful smiles...
Hi Defoecat,
I guess this could fall under that caragory.
I posted here abut a month ago asking if someone could order me some seeds from the U.S. as they would not ship to Canada. These seeds were very inexpensive heck cheap and as they are for a fundraiser for our volunteer fire department i got up the nerve to post here asking if someone would mind doing it for me. This wonderful lady who did not know me from Adam volunteered to do it for me. To me that was a great act of kindness and i really appreciated all the trouble that she went to. Bonnie take a bow and bless you for helping me out, you took the time and went the extra mile and if there is ever anyway that I can repay that act of kindness do not hesitate to ask as it will be done in a heartbeat.
Merry Christmas everyone.
Trailingon, my pleasure. I sent an e-mail. Glad that this issue has been settled. If you had warm weather, I would ask you to send me some, but yours is probably much colder than mine. Have a very Merry Christmas. If there is anything else I can do for you, please let me know.
Bonnie
Now where are all the stories? Come on, you guys, all of you have at least ONE story in ya.
I've been pretty blessed and I could tell ya "pay it forward" stories all day. But I'm sure you guys don't want me hogging the forum. You know, a "pay it forward" doesn't have to be any big thing, just something nice you do or someone does for you that makes a difference in a life. It could be two people reaching for the last "x-box" on the shelf and one person relinquishing a hold on it so the other person could have it. Just any thoughtful gesture.
You don't really want ME to bore you with all MY stories, do ya?
BC
Sure we do, prime the pump, so to speak!
Only 3 1/2 story telling days left. Best hop to it.
Bonnie
I really do not think that you would want my weather Bonnie. It has been minus 10 to minus 20 for the last week or 2. We have very little snow yet, hope we get some soon. Already have some of the seeds planted and about 400 others started, so i hope winter is not to long.
Once again thank you.
Take care everyone.
Marilyn
Marilyn, I take it you have a greenhouse? That is one thing that is on my list of "wants". Our weather isn't really all that bad. It was in the 20's today, but 6-8 inches of snow predicted for tomorrow. I had planned a christmas shopping trip about 50 miles away, so now those plans are on hold until I see what the weather is like.
Talk to you later.
Bonnie
I wish I had a Christmas story to tell but as it has been said - a gift on any day of the year can be Christmas, right? A couple years ago on February 14th, I was driving to work and was stuck in traffic - before I even got on the Interstate. It was a dreary and cold and rainy day (much like today) and as I sat there watching my left blinker and waiting for my turn to move up another few inches, I noticed on the right side of the road an older model sedan pull over off the road. I watched an elderly gentleman get out of his car and put his top hat on and walked very slowly with his cane to open the trunk. He stared in there for a minute or two, closed the trunk and started walking up the shoulder of the road past his car.
I decided I was already late for work, and in his condition he would never make it to a gas station, the closest one being several miles up the road. I pulled out of traffic and went over and asked him if I could give him a ride somewhere. He said "oh, yes - my son works at a place just a few miles from here" so I took him there. While we were driving I mentioned that I hoped his Valentines Day would get better for him. He said that his wife passed on a few years ago, so Valentines Day was just another day for him. He went on to say that he has been tutoring a young student and coaching him along through school and that the boy was taking a big test today and he had promised he would be there. I offered to take him to the school but he said just taking him to his son would be fine. He offered me money and when we got there his son offered me money and I wouldn't take it.
I was just so touched that he was devoting his time and effort into helping a boy get through school as best he could. It was apparent that this old man was all heart - instead of feeling lonely he was out making a difference in someone's life.
I guess I could tell another one. When my son was about 7, I worked as a purchaser in a manufacturing plant. Around thanksgiving, they laid off a bunch of people. I breathed a sigh of relief that I wasn't one of them. Being a single parent, I was struggling to find a way to make a Christmas for my son already. But right before Christmas, we got word that I and several others would be let go on Dec 31. Happy New Year, huh??
I put in all the overtime I could. When the plant closed for Christmas break on the 20th, my boss allowed me to continue working 3 more days for the overtime on a big project he had going.
On Dec. 23, as I was leaving the building, the guard stopped me. "Santa brought something for you son," she told me with a twinkle in her eyes. "Huh?" was all I could reply, not expecting anything.
"Santa brought some packages for your son," she repeated, enjoying her role as messenger immensely. She pointed to a big black lawn bag in the corner bulging so much with corners of packages poking it. I was sure it would burst.
I walked over and looked inside and saw tons of differently wrapped packages in all sizes. "All of these are for me?" I asked, not quite believing my eyes.
"No, not for you. For your son."
"But who left them?" I inquired.
Again, she patiently answered with a big smile, "Santa."
I don't remember much after that except we got the packages stored away in my car, and all the way home I wanted to pull over and check the trunk to be sure I hadn't dreamed it. And I kept trying to figure out who in the world would do such a thing???
I kept the gifts in my trunk until close to midnight on Christmas Eve. When my son FINALLY went to sleep, I brought the gifts in and carefully set them under our bare tree. Every tag on the gifts said "From Santa". And I was so amazed. Still am today as I think about it.
I stoked the fire in our woodburning stove and went to bed, so happy that "Santa" had remembered my little boy.
Christmas morning, my son woke me. "Mama, Santa DID come!!! He did, Mom! Come see!!!" As he opened each gift, he'd exclaim, "Oh how cool," "Awesome," "Just what I always wanted!" And he told me that he still believed in Santa. And he knew how Santa got in too! He came down our stove pipe. The footprints in the ashes by the stove proved it! LOL
Shortly after that, I wrote a small story called "The Spirit of Santa" which detailed my son's hopes for Christmas and the fun he had opening each and every gift from "Santa." I made several copies to leave on the desks of people I suspected of being "Santa". I later learned that 14 ladies in my department had agreed to buy 2 gifts each for my son. They wanted to remain anonymous and my story allowed them to be, and yet they got to share in the joy of my son's Christmas. In the Spirit of Santa, they gave my son a Christmas he wasn't going to have otherwise. That was my most memorable Christmas, and every year, I still think of those "elves".
BC
I think you shared that story before. That was so kind of co-workers and friends, to make Christmas a special one for a little boy.
Angels are everywhere...neighbors, at work, at schools, at church, on DG...
My angel was a nurse at Overland Park Regional Medical Center.
My baby, Chris, came 8 weeks early and was placed in the NICU at the hospital. Every once in a while, his heart rate and oxygen levels would drop, especially during feeding times, but they assured me this was pretty normal at first. He pretty much had 3 goals: regulate his own body temperature, stop having spells (drops in heart rate and oxygen level), and learn to feed without the tube going to his stomach. He made excellent progress regulating his own body temperature. He graduated from an isolette (the little baby greenhouse) to a crib rather quickly. But he never stopped having those spells, even after putting him on caffeine, and never got those feedings down. They graduated him to a nursery, telling me that he'd been going home soon...that would be the next step...and slowly but surely he progressed with his goals. Then they started running short on nurses and had to bring him back into the NICU, but off to the side. He was on an older monitor that kept registering his heart rate at 300, which all the nurses said was impossible, but one of the nurses insisted something was wrong with his heart. Eventually, he was put back in the intensive care section of the NICU. On the new monitor, his heart rate seemed stable but his oxygen levels jumped around the charts. Again, all the nurses said this was impossible for his oxygen level to go down so low without him turning blue...that something must be wrong with the sensors. But then they tried putting him on oxygen and I sadly watched as his oxygen level stabilized. They wanted to put him back in an isolette so he could have oxygen pumped to him...and he had been there 4 weeks at this time. Oh, that was such a depressing day! After that day, I came home, got sick, and wasn't able to go to the hospital for 2 days. When I came back, he was missing. I couldn't find him anywhere in the NICU and none of the nurses came to help this seemingly lost person. I came to find out he'd been put in isolation. He'd somehow gotten a staph infection called MRSA and they didn't want the other babies getting it from him.
I didn't realize it at the time, but that was probably the best thing that happened to him.
After that, he got a new nurse, Larry, who had seen Chris' monitors go haywire on him, and Larry suspected that Chris wasn't the problem. Of course, it was inconvenient for Larry to go into the isolation room to see Chris, but when he did, he spent a lot of time with him. Chris was supposed to be getting bottle feedings while I wasn' t there to nurse him and Larry realized it that hadn't been happening at all. It was just so much easier for the other nurses to hook Chris up to the tube that they didn't make the effort to bottle feed him. Chris couldn't leave the hospital with the tube in his stomach...he had to learn this art! So Larry taught him. He also took the tube out of his stomach so the night nurses wouldn't be tempted to just hook him up. He gave great progress reports to the doctor (others gave doom and gloom stories) and told me to prepare for him to come home. Chris' monitor still showed that he'd have occassional spells, but Larry showed me that even though the numbers were low, they have to be within a certain range of each other, and when they're out of that range, that means the sensors aren't working right. The other nurses didn't look for that!
Then came the time when they said Chris could finally go home. He just had to pass a carseat test. Not even Larry could get him to pass this test. They said Chris couldn't leave until he did, but Larry got Chris a car bed. Chris was able to lie down instead of having to sit up. They did another test...and he passed! He came home on my wedding anniv.!
Now he's all mine! But he would've still been in the hospital if it weren't for Larry spending all that time working with him.
I realize this is nothing compared to others' stories, but I felt this thread needed more warm fuzzies.... ; )
Good story, with a perfect ending!! I have had nurses, who I swore were angels. They just had to leave those appendages in the locker.
CJ, what a touching story! My son was born weighing about 9 lbs and healthy. I can't even imagine a premature child with tubes in him! I'd freak out! I was so fortunate that my son has always been healthy. I'm not sure I could have handled what you guys went thru. Babies are so helpless anyway without added strains.
I'm glad Chris is coming along nicely. I'm glad it is all working out.
BC
After all those great stories, I am tempted not to write my little one. But, it brought such a huge smile to a stranger that I'm going to share it anyway. A couple of days ago I was at Best Buy to get my dd a digital camera. You can imaging what Best Buy was like at lunch. Anyway, the one salesperson was helping someone, so I was looking around and quickly decided that I would have to have input to decide on which of the 7 $149 cameras was the "best buy". About 5 minutes after I was there, a guy in his 30's came in just where I was. He looked around, called someone to see what she wanted, and then we both waited on the sales person. After 10 more minutes he came and asked if he could help me. All I said was, "I have several questions to ask you, and this guy seems to know what he wants. Why don't you help him first?" You should have seen the smile beam across his face. It cost me an extra 2 minutes of time, but it gave me such a great feeling.
Hey Pins, that's what it is all about--big or little "random acts of kindness." What's little to one person may be big to another.
Once I was at Dollar Tree. For those of you who don't know, it's a unique store where every single item in the store is $1. I was 2nd in a long line of people waiting to check out. This man in a suit (a business man I assumed) had picked out two packs of thank you cards and walked over to the line. He politely asked the cashier if she could get someone to open the other register. And she told him there was no one else. They all called in sick.
He was in a hurry, had some place to be, so I volunteered to pay for his items when it was my turn to check out and he could go on his way now. We made sure it was ok with the clerk first. And the man handed me the money, thanked me profusely and left with his cards. It wasn't a big thing to me, but that guy sure appreciated it.
I often let people in line ahead of me and I let traffic from side streets pull out into the main traffic. I'm especially sympathetic of 18-wheelers and other big trucks. I have attempted to drive a 13-gear dump truck before, and it's no easy task. So while most people are cursing because a slow big truck has pulled in front of them, I wave 'em in. After all, they are bringing us all the things we buy at Walmart and the grocery store and furniture stores, etc. So the sooner they get 'em there, the sooner I can buy 'em. LOL
BC
Well this is not a Christmas story at all but sure was a sign of fairness.
I recently was returning from driving my husband to his physical therapy appointment. He had slipped at work and broken his arm and now it was on the mend. So he couldn't drive and I had to take him.
Coming home I saw a police car pull out of a drive and join me in traffic. We approached a light and a truck was the only one ahead of me and we were both going to turn right. The light was a nice shade of green and I followed him around. He had a tall load and you can imagine that when the view of the light met my eyes, it was already red. No yellow, no lighter shade of green I was making a turn in front of a policeman on a red light. I could feel the color draining from my face. I had never in all my years (many) of driving ever had as much as a parking ticket. You hear about people who are dying having their life flash before them, well I had visions of going to court and paying a fine. LOL
I knew I was busted so didn't even wait for the cop to put his lights on. I just pulled over as soon as was safe. He pulled over behind me with his lights flashing.
I immediately opened the door and told him. "I am sorry! I didn't even see the light change"
Instead of being nasty, he smiled and said. "I know, I didn't see it either! The truck had such a high load. You certainly don't look like the type of person who would run a red light on purpose. I just had to pull you over because it was so obvious and so many people at the light saw you do it. " LOL
He said "I am not even going to bother checking your Driver's license, have a good day!"
I thanked him profusely and was never so embarrassed in all my life. I looked at my husband and said "leave it to me to run my first red light in front of a cop!"
I am usually the person who looks both ways after the light changes to green if I am first in line. Sigh
I don't need any seeds, just thought this story of human kindness was worth sharing.
Just curious - turning right on a red light is illegal down there?
Good story. Turning right on red is permitted here, now. But maybe not then. So nice of the cop. I imagine that they could tell all kinds of stories, usually not good.
lots of funny stories, I bet.
I think it's still considered running a red light if you don't stop before turning right.
Wow...lots of new stories since I was last here!! Hooray!
My phone line went dead for forever yesterday...we had quite a bit of snow. But see...I come back on and now there's so much great stuff to catch up on!
Cheryl
You can turn right on red, but you still have to stop first and then only go if it is clear to do so. This was a busy street.
It is kind of hard to explain the road. It comes out onto a four lane road and there is no street to go straight onto it is either right or left and the light was green for the other lanes I am sure since it was not yellow when I could see around the truck. I didn't even see it turn yellow. It was green I was behind the truck and it was red as I was in the momentum of turning.
I clearly was in the wrong except my vision was blocked by the height of the trucks load. I am thinking if I didn't turn the cop may actually have rear ended me. LOL He didn't see the light change either until it was too late. Quick light.
Edited to add that my first husband was a cop, and yes there were lots of funny stories to be told. The funniest one I remember is when they were called by neighbors in a duplex to respond to noises next door. The people said they knew the residents were not home. Turns out the two dogs were having a hayday tearing up the pantry with everything from flour to noodles scattered all over the place. There wasn't anything my husband could do about it. He saw the mess through the window. LOL I would have loved to see the looks on their faces when they got home to that mess. LOL
This message was edited Dec 9, 2005 5:25 PM
Whoa! If those were my dogs, they'd be grounded for life!!!
what a great story! thanks for the laugh - I needed one today.
Thanks Windy, I needed that laugh tonight also. Let me tell you a snickering kind of story. Today I went Christmas shopping, and bought a stuffed cat for a niece. Now these are not of the "toy" variety, but look life like. All curled up sleeping. Well, I brought my packages in and put them in a spare bedroom on the bed, and awhile later, my Jack Russell Terrier, just started barking his head off. Went to investigate, and he is up on the bed, had pulled the cat out of the shopping bag, and was standing over it just barking like everything. I have hidden it in a closet, but he still smells it, and barking at the closet door. So I am off, to the garage to put it in the trunk of my car so I can get some sleep tonight. Wonder if he will want to hang out in the garage until Christmas? LOL
Good Night All.
So your Terrier has let the cat out of the bag--literally! LOL Now THAT's Funny!
Yeah he did. I didn't catch that pun!!
Bonnie
Well, sorry I wasn't as prompt as I said I would announce the winner at 12:00 today. I appreciate all the stories, as each of them touched me. I just like knowing that there are caring people who go out of their way to help others.
But the one that touched me the most was from hmstyl. I never knew my grandfather, and as I read Cindy's story, it just seemed to say that this could have been my grandfather. What a nice thing to do for him, even if it wasn't on Christmas.
So thanks everyone, and have a blessed Christmas season.
hmstyl, you have mail.
Great choice! Congrats hmstyl!
Congratulations, Cindy!
Bc
I hope that just because someone has been declared the winner, the good stories don't stop coming.
Hope you're lovin your package, Cindy!! Congrats! ; )
Cj
WOW! I just logged on to see what was new- what a nice surprise!! I really liked Butterflychaser's story about the unexpected Christmas presents - that was the one I thought would win. I am tickled! Just goes to show that good deeds keep paying it forward time and time again!
Thanks,
Cindy
ButterflyChaser just wanted to share her story...she didn't want any seeds. ; ) Ain't she a gem?
Cj