the story of ed

if you're a friend, you may already know this story.
to me, it's one of the most profound stories of my
life. i put it out here today because i'm thinking
of how thoughtless we can be sometimes. and how much
it matters to show some love.....

here's my story......

i was afraid of him.
i was told he was crusty and gruff and just
'not right' in the head.
i avoided him at first.
and then i saw he really wasn't scary...
so i sat down next to him.
i noticed his mickey mouse watch.
commented on it.
touched it.
he proudly showed it off to me.
the only present he was ever given in his
78 years.
wow.
his niece had given it to him.
he beamed about his niece.
his sister baked a birthday cake for him once.
she put in big letters HBDTY.
(happy birthday to you)
i couldn't believe it.
that was it?
one present?
one cake?
wow.
wow.

when i got home,i got right on line.
found some mickey mouse pj's.
(to go with the watch)
happened to be right around valentine's day.
my favorite holiday. i love it cause you have
an excuse to tell everyone that you love them.
how perfect is this?
this time i can really do something special.
i wrapped it in shiny red paper with a big homemade
heart card that said HVDTY,
(happy valentine's day to you)
i went out and got the biggest red bow i could
find. and sent it to him.

i think i won his love forever.
he's now told me things he says he's never told
anyone in his life. he recited romeo and juliet
to me over the phone and put in 'terri' for juliet.
i laughed and told him i had never ever had a man
in my life do anything so wonderful. he sings to me
and tells me stories about himself. he's well read
and knows everything about history and all the authors
and classics and shakespeare....he even owns his own
bone sigh books now! altho, he says he doesn't understand
them!!! he loves them anyway. grin.

i told him i was shy but wanted to learn how to love.
told him he was teaching me.

yeah, yeah, he had the guy thing goin' for a bit,
you know....'if i was 30 years younger'.....that stuff...
had to kinda get thru all that (do men ever stop that
stuff???) but even that was part of the journey together.

i saw him recently and we talked about our struggles
with self love. he's in his late 70's and can't love
himself. we talked about it. i don't think we got too
far, but who knows.....i do felt like just talking about
it mattered.

ed has changed my life.
he showed me so much of what love can do.
and how important reaching out is.

we don't have to be doin' the reachin' out thing all the
time.....but we for surely can do the not knockin' each
other down stuff!!!!

we are so much more powerful than we know.......