Yesterday a friend posted the following on Facebook:
Never stop doing little things for others. Sometimes those little things occupy the biggest part of their heart.
Which leads me to the blog I promised re: the frog in the pink coat statue that my boss left on my desk. At the Christmas party, after some light hearted comedy for the staff, I told the story that remains in my heart to this day as one of most rewarding things I ever did.
Most of you know that I’m not a fashion person. I don’t really pay that much attention to what I wear and it is rare that I buy anything that is not on sale.
One day while shopping at Dillards many years ago I spotted this hot pink coat/jacket that for some reason just jumped out at me. It was a have to have moment. Rare for me. I paid full price and I wore that coat proudly. Absolutely loved it and the compliments I would get when I wore it.
During that time in my life I delivered a Meals on Wheels route. Ever so often I would go to the elementary school and check out either Andy or Chris for lunch and let them run the route with me so that they could see the importance of doing things for others. Andy particularly loved to go with me because the old people would make such a fuss…Oh what a fine young man you are….aren’t you just the cutest thing, etc.
One day after picking up Andy I went to the Church to pick up my list and food deliveries and there was a new name added to my list. I knew from the address that this particular address was in a really rough neighborhood and frankly I was a little hesitant to go. Off we went and when we arrived at the house I was sickened to think someone could actually live there. The house was not much more than a shack and it was in pitiful shape. Stepping onto the porch we were forced to dodge the holes that were big enough to fall through. Andy enthusiastically knocked on the door and called out "MEALS ON WHEELS".
The door finally opened and a little old lady peered out. Andy stood back, awaiting his compliment. Instead, her eyes went to me and my hot pink coat. Oh my! She exclaimed, Oh my oh my oh my. That is the prettiest coat I have ever seen in my life. Without skipping a beat, Andy said (to my horror)
You can have it! My first thought was that she would say something like "oh no, I wouldn’t take your coat" but instead she said "can I really? Oh thank you so much young man! Thank you so much! And her face lit up excitedly. I hesitated. I did not want to give up my coat. I was a little aggravated that she would even consider taking it. Andy looked at me and said Mom, in Sunday School we learned a verse that says if you have more than one coat you have to give one to someone else. I’m racking my brain thinking "there is no such scripture" but the look on his face and the look on her face compelled me to take of that beautiful pink coat and hand it to Andy, who helped her put it on.
She hugged Andy and took the food container and we made our way back to the car. Once in the car, I burst into tears. Don’t cry mom, said Andy. You can buy another pink coat. She needed that one. And he was right. My tears were selfish tears but seeing how happy it made Andy to make a total stranger happy melted my heart and suddenly I realized that truly it is better to give than receive.
As the months went on and the weather warmed to where a coat was not needed, it never failed that when I delivered her meal each week that she didn’t come to the door in that hot pink coat. She would say, where’s that fine young man you raised?
Then one day close to the end of May, I noticed her name was crossed off my list when I picked up my Meals on Wheel route slip. She had passed away. A few months later I got a note in the mail. Her son, who lived out of town, had taken the time to write me a thank you note. It said, "I got your name from the Meals on Wheels director". I just want to say thank you. Every time I called my mom, she would tell me about the little boy who gave her a beautiful coat. That coat meant more to her in the last months of her life than words can express. In fact, we buried her in that beautiful
coat. Your son’s kindness, and yours, made a huge difference. I just wanted you to know.
And so there you have it. The story of the coat. My boss was impacted by the story and when she saw the figurine of a frog in a pink coat, she bought it for me. To remind me that, as the facebook post said:
Never stop doing little things for others. Sometimes those little things occupy the biggest part of their heart.
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