Kindness Restored My Faith

After a week filled with horrific human-caused tragedy and ever back-biting political squabbling, the world looked decidedly black. Then my faith and hopes for mankind were suddenly restored, if only by the width of an eye-lash, when I received a letter and shipping box from the lovely family who bought my San Rafael, California house seven months ago.

When Tony and Francesca purchased my house back in December, I happen to let it slip that one of the things I will miss the most about the house was the plum tree in the backyard. We not only enjoyed plums every summer, but my mother and sisters would drive up from San Jose every July and we would can four dozen quarts of plum jam. It was something I looked forward to every year.

Yesterday, UPS delivered a small crate of tree-ripened plums and a letter from Tony and Francesca. The letter told of how they had searched for almost two years for a house and were at the end of their rope when they found the house of their dreams—my house. They thanked Herman and I for all the extra effort we when through to insure the sale went through (it was a bumpy ride that didn’t come together until the last minute) and they told of how they and their two children have come to love that house, and the new neighbors who have become close friends. They are now living their dream, and said it was one of their greatest blessings that Herman and I came into their lives.

Needless to say, Herman and I are thrilled that Tony and his lovely family have found happiness in the house I lived in for thirty years. We weren’t sure until today how they really felt about the house, but reading their letter brought tears to both our eyes (what can I say, we’re so gay.)

That letter pulled me back to the reality that there are billions of Tony and Francescas in the world, good loving people who are grateful for small blessings and who go out of their way to spread joy in other people’s lives.

Thank you, Tony and Francesca, for your kindness and for helping me see the goodness that surrounds me.