Stories

I visit my cousin John at the nursing home almost every day.  He is a real joy to hang out with.  Today he was sitting in his wheel chair in the hall when I came by.  I wheeled him into his room and I sat on his bed and we talked about the weather which is a favorite topic of farmers. 

Then he said, "Did you bring the book?"  It is a collection of short stories about the hard times during the depression and particularly about the dust storms of 1936.  John remembers them well. He's 99.
I read him one first person account of a family's house that burned down during the depression.  It doesn't sound very uplifting does it.  But, it was.  She talked about how the family had made do and funny stories about mice and how she had escaped the fire wearing only a slip.  She ended the story by saying how she had loved those very difficult years.  She said that although they had lost almost everything her family seemed as happy, if not happier, than people who had much more.  Things haven't changed much.

Peace,
Deacon Fred