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A message of caring from the North Country
By KIM SMITH DEDAM
Staff Writer
I’d rather keep this blog spot open for carefree observation.
Some say there are two sides to every story, but I think there are more like five or six.
I’m not fond of writing commentary about politics; there are enough writers doing that.
Over the past few years, I’ve had the good fortune to listen to and then share thousands of stories from people in the North Country.
I’ve come to appreciate how genuinely tender and attentive rural senses can be.
I’ve noticed that people in the North Country are generally stolid and optimistic, often looking out for each other in times of need or not.
Charm is common and easy to find.
Usually, news interviews wind down in laughter, even though only some of the good humor ends up in the paper.
Pressed for time and space, there are a hundred bits of insight that get left off the public record.
Sometimes, it seems that if every funny comment could stay in the story, the mood around us might remain hopeful, upbeat, even forward-thinking and balanced.
A lot of quaint events report to the nature of human kindness.
One so happened to land not long ago at our house when a valentine sent from Gramma and
Grampa took a detour on its way north.
The valentine was opened by an elderly woman some towns west of here.
It arrived, belated and taped shut.
A note, written in tiny cursive letters on a blue index card was tucked inside.
It said:
“Feb. 14 --
I received this letter today and opened it in error.
I’m very sorry.
I can’t get it up to the Post Office today, but we’ll try to see it goes out to you tomorrow. The Post Office really goofed.”
Signed N. S.
Her zip code was similar to ours.
Yep, the Post Office did goof, but so what.
In a way, the tiny blue, hand-written apology was so touching that I was altogether glad she opened the Valentine first.
It made the message seem better for being shared.
