Tuesday, August 17, 2010

In the mail


I opened a card yesterday from my cousin Joanne and her husband, Guiseppe. They were both in Hilton Head during my recent vacation from hell and met Sophie, if not for the first time, then the first time in a lot of years. It was good to see them, to eat Guiseppe's homemade sopresata and to laugh at Joanne's sardonic sense of humor. In addition to a happy greeting, the card read:

Please find enclosed a small check for Sophie to buy some neat school clothes on the occasion of her entering a new phase of her schooling. Joseph and I were touched by her gentle caress when we said our good-byes. I will never forget that moment. Take care.
I shed quite a few tears on that card and thank you, Joanne and Guiseppe. I'm not sure you know what all of that means to me -- the card, the note, that you saw Sophie, that you helped us. Thank you.

17 comments:

  1. Unasked for grace. Sometimes it falls gently.

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  2. oh i am shedding some hot stinging tears right there with you. its people like this, at these unexpected moments, who touch the walled up places in our hearts when we're least prepared. it is the beautiful thing of life :) AND you and sophie deserve this and more.

    i love what ms moon wrote - i give a big "ditto" to that :)

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  3. They saw Sophie in her gentle caress. In that caress, Sophie saw them. What a sweet exchange.

    Best,
    Bonnie

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  4. Fine picture of sweet Sophie. It reminds me of one you called 'She in there' sometime back.

    Your cousin Joanne is a true human being.

    I'm glad you're back home.

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  5. I love the Sophie flower.I absolutely love the card sent to you,that in minimal words, conveyed and sent it with it, more love and understanding than anyone but you could know.But what I HATE,is the seizures. For you.For Sophie.

    Our journey with IS was much,much more short lived than you and I can say those were some of the darkest days of our last 3 1/2 years.I can only,with that, glimpse a bit of your daily life with your beautiful girl.

    A call from her neurologist,Dr.Shields at UCLA,just a bit ago,discussing medication,was a reminder that that past life is not as far away as I would like.

    Love from up North.

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  6. Lovely.
    And so nice to see Quan Yin on your page!!

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  7. Beautiful and touching
    family love

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  8. If only more people would see the person behind the caress . . .

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  9. Blessings often come when we need them most and from where we don't expect.

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  10. Those gifts that come unexpectedly, with kind, caring, loving words are the best and felt the most. Your Sophie is a brave young girl with such loving family....

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  11. What a simply beautiful, generous, thoughtful, insightful gift. It seems your "vacation from hell" is yielding some aspects of heaven. I am glad. xoxo

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  12. How lovely. As others have said, your cousin and hubby "saw" Sophie -- they got her.

    Let us know what cool clothes you guys end up buying!

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  13. Hugs, Dear One. Big hugs. Wow. Blessings.

    And, thank you for the beautiful photo, and the reminder that kindness is important.

    Gentle.

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  14. That card gets me. People that get it, or even try to get it, get me. In a good way.

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  15. Thank you for sharing this moment of your lives. What if we all met each other so mindfully and fully?

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