Don’t Believe You Can’t Make A Difference

Anyone who finds an opportunity to counter some of the world’s ugliness, grief and self-centeredness should do so, and here’s my contribution for the week.

Today’s story begins on Oct. 11, the day Dee Simmons turned 61.

Now, chances are you don’t know Mrs. Simmons, but just sit back, listen and soon you will. If you try, you will see that she was puttering around the house a bit that morning when the phone rang and someone from Weinstocks department store at Sunrise Mall was on the line.

“They said I had a package waiting for me if I could come and pick it up,” Mrs. Simmons said.

Surprised and curious, she went over to Weinstocks that very day. Awaiting her was a present looking just as elegant and shimmery as can be. Wrapped in gold gift wrap, it was encircled by a silky ribbon and topped with a large white bow.

The mystery unraveled a bit when she read the attached card, beautifully illustrated with angels on its front.

Angels? Hmmm. She read on.

“Mrs. Simmons,” the note card read. “Yesterday I came upon a gentleman at Weinstocks who was purchasing a birthday gift for his wife. He shared with me that he had suffered a stroke and was not able to give his wife many surprises lately.

“He really wanted to surprise her on this birthday and had chosen a nightgown for her. Unfortunately, he was unable to complete the sale and had to leave very disappointed without his chosen gift.

“I know this probably sounds and seems crazy, but this was truly a gift from his heart, one I wanted you to … have …

“Happy Birthday.”

The note was unsigned.

Mrs. Simmons believes the mysterious gift was one of those random acts of kindness one hears about, but rarely experiences. She’s just as quick to admit it caught her completely off guard.

“It brought tears to my eyes,” she said.

Her only regret is not knowing whom to thank, but isn’t that lovely? The person obviously doesn’t need any flowery show of appreciation. Doing a thoughtful deed was satisfying enough.

The clerk in the lingerie department said she wasn’t behind it, so it must have been a customer, and a sweet one at that.

The fine print to this story is that the Simmonses have been married for 42 years and it was only a little more than a year ago that Robert Simmons suffered the stroke. He was left with his right side almost totally paralyzed, although therapy has since helped him quite a bit.

Still, in the case of major strokes, “quite a bit” never equals “the same as before.”

“His memory was severely affected and his speech also and he went a long time without a driver’s license, although the DMV has given that back to him now,” Mrs. Simmons said. “But it’s still very hard.” She said that although he looks the same on the outside and people might not see the difference, there are lots of things he just can’t do.

Like jumping in the car, walking into a department store and successfully negotiating the details of picking out and buying a gift?

“Yes.”

Yet he did just fine when it comes right down to it - albeit with the help of a stranger. For indeed the only birthday present Mrs. Simmons unwrapped from her husband that day was the Weinstocks package containing the same satiny blue nightgown he’d tried to buy.

(His idea didn’t pan out, Mrs. Simmons later found out, because he tried to use a department store credit card that was only in her name.)

“Your life totally changes,” Mrs. Simmons said of strokes.

And for one day, the life she and her husband now share did, indeed, change.

Thanks to a stranger.

xxxx

The following fields overflowed: CREDIT = Diana Griego Erwin McClatchy News Service