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November 22, 2007
A story of the things we need to be thankful for......
Due to circumstances beyond our control, we were unable to travel to Sis's house for Thanksgiving. We are having the CAGs father and wife over, along with a coworker and his wife. Well, our table does not have a leaf, so plan A was for me to make one, so we went to Lowes on Saturday to acquire the needed lumber. Lacking a planer, I needed to layer a number of boards to reach the desired thickness, but was unable to find any combination of boards that would work for less than the price of a few body parts. So being the anti-hero male that I am, I actually asked an employee in the lumber section for a bit of advice on the project. He looked at me and said "I would just take the measurements to the mill in Mt. Pleasant, and they can plane you a board the needed size for around $20 (ed-It turned out to be $33, but well worth it.)." But it was almost noon, and they closed at 12 on Saturdays, so we decided to call and give them the dimensions on Monday.
So we called on Monday and ordered the leaf, and it would be done by Wednesday. Being the eveel corporate stoolie type that I am, I would be to busy swindling the common man at work on Wednesday to be able to be there when it was picked up, leaving the CAG and Crusader III (Crusader II was home doing school work) to pick it up. Well, being as the leaf (44" x 16" x 1 25/32" solid Oak) was taller than Crusader III, he was of little help lifting it into the trunk. As the CAG was trying to get it in, a little old man gets out of his car and asks if he can help her with it. She turns around to see a gentleman in his 80s, no taller than she walking with his cane towards her. Together they lift the leaf into the trunk, then proceeds to explain to her that he is recovering from a stroke on jis left side a short while back. He expressed he was thankful it was his left side, as he had been shot in his left leg during the Battle of the Bulge, so it did not effect his good one. She thanked him, they spoke for a bit about his 2 grandchildren, and then went their ways.
Here, a man who was shot fighting in one the worst battles we fought in World War II almost 63 years ago, while probably little older than our own Crusader II (15), is recovering from a stroke and still goes out of his way to help a stranger. Those are the things we are thankful for, and whose values are worth fighting for, to the end. So this Thanksgiving, be not only thankful for what we have, but also for the people we have, most we will never meet, but whose sacrifices have won and preserved the freedoms we have.
Posted by Crusader at November 22, 2007 08:35 AM
Comments
'Oh, that's beautiful, sweet little brother', she said as she wrote through her tears.
Bless his heart and yours and we miss you so much. But we are very thankful we have you to love. Biggest hugs and all our love to the 'Saders, the Bingsters and all our wonderful Swillers and their families.
We are very thankful.
Posted by: tree hugging sister at November 22, 2007 10:20 AM
That's a very cool story.
Happy Thanksgiving to the Swilling!
Posted by: That 1 Guy at November 22, 2007 10:36 AM
Positively inspirational.
Happy Thanksgiving to all.
Posted by: Gunslinger at November 22, 2007 11:42 AM
That's so wonderful!
Posted by: Mr. Bingley at November 23, 2007 09:47 AM