The first call this week was from Edith. She is an elderly widow with some plumbing issues and a cracked sidewalk. When I briefly explained that we have a long list of homeowners in need, I was interrupted with, ” Well, my husband died in the war and I had to raise my children with no help. No one has suffered like me and I should be a priority on your list!” I gently told her that I was sure she would not want to trade places with anyone on our list and though I am sure she has suffered grievously, she may have to wait a bit for our services. She was none too happy but less angry after we completed her application and said goodbye.

As I took a deep breath the phone rang again.  It was Marcia. She had a leg amputated as a child after a bout with cancer. Later in life she battled both breast and bone cancer. She was clear of the dreaded disease for five years and then hit again. She once again battled successfully. Through her ongoing fight with illness, she held down a job. But five years ago, she found the years of intense chemo therapy left her stripped of any energy and she had to quit working. She had to sell her home of many years and move to a mobile home park. She was calling because the mobile home needs a new roof and she needs a ramp due to her disability. She kept saying she is blessed to be alive and the rigor it has taken to negotiate the waters of disability has made her a better person. When I was filling out the application I asked her her marital status. She chuckled and said,” I’m single…not a widow…most of my life I have been broken and bald, (chuckle)…I have never had the love of someone that I could hurt over if they passed…so, I guess that’s a blessing, right?”

I wanted to give her Edith’s phone number. Instead I swallowed the lump in my throat and continued the application to provide a new roof and ramp for a one legged bald lady living in a leaky mobile home holding a glass that in her mind has always been more than half full.

-From an earlier e-blast (Subscribe to our e-blasts below.)