HELLO!

When I was young lad, I became aware my late mother would spend some portion of every day listening to people she met, determining what they liked, where she might find it (for a minimal cost). Then, she would store said item in her attic, piles would emerge, and when she planned to see that person again, she would appear with the item under her arm. Literally, all her friends, neighbours, fellow volunteers, would sport some possession that “Lennie gave to them”. None of this really sunk in until one morning, during the renovations at the previous church I served, when a carpenter, who was also a teacher, was telling the crew “Yeah, this other teacher in my school, he got me this sweatshirt, with my hometown name on it.” As I was walking by the sanctuary (under construction) I heard “Scott”. All of a sudden it dawned on me, he meant my middle brother, Scott, who learned this from our mother. When I shared this with the staff, they smiled. On my last Sunday there, many of those in attendance were wearing the many items of clothing I had carefully found for them, a team they supported, a colour they loved, a community they were from, etc…Neither my late father, nor my “baby brother” Chris (born 1970) do this, we joke they come from the Little side of the gene pool, whereas Scott, my mother, and me, we are Pitchers to the core. It’s one of the most obvious examples of mom’s legacy.

Two things to add. 1) I don’t play favorites, the items I find, the match I make between the gift and the person comes only from disclosures people make to me. If you are someone who rarely shares what you like, I have nothing to go by. But if you tell me that you like something, that information sticks, and if I happen to see it, or be given it, it will likely find its way to you. And 2) I DO NOT want thanks or praise, what I do want, and am more than a little bossy about, is assurance you will use it. If not, no hard feelings on my end, I will find another recipient, guaranteed. If you are not my Cinderella, I will find another. I do not want to create clutter for you or add to the piles of things you never use.

Last week I was out at a thrift store and spotted something I rarely see, a St. Louis Cardinals hat. I immediately remembered that in my first visit with Murray Angus, he told me he was a Cardinals fan. So I bought it. I saw Nancy, his daughter in church, and gave it to her. Here are the responses, from Nancy and her sister Sue. “We had the family together for Father's Day after church. Dad loved the hat!  And it was a good topic of conversation. He was a big fan of Stan Musial of the Cardinals”. Nancy And…“The hat brought a big smile to his face”. Sue

This made my day. Peace, Kevin