The Gift of Warmth
The gift of warmth...
In the South, cold temps generally are bearable. For years, I faced winter without a coat, even before the blessed arrival of heated seats. I am thrilled with my recent purchase of heated seats, which came with my new car. I flip the heater on high and drive with elbows that can bend rather than bound up in a coat, which is worse than being swaddled. The second reason I formerly went coatless was that I had not worn a coat for so long, I was certain to forget it if I took it off anywhere away from home.
Raised as a Minnesota snowbird, Barbara, my father-in-law's late second wife, couldn't break with her indoctrination into wearing coats, hats, boots, and gloves in cold weather. She noticed that I never wore a coat, and watching me dash from house to car and back when we went out together made her shiver.
"Aren't you cold?" she repeatedly asked.
It wasn't my birthday; it wasn't Christmas. One chilly day, Barbara dropped by with a beautiful, warm coat that she bought for me. I put on the coat and instantly loved the warmth, which brought a great smile to Barbara's face. It was her pleasure--she couldn't bear to watch someone without a coat out in the cold.
And then, it was Christmas. At our family celebration, we gathered around the Christmas tree by the fireplace to open presents.
"What's in the big box?" We are most curious about the big boxes.
When it was my turn, I ripped away the wrapping paper and found a downy-soft thermal blanket--from Barbara. I remember how happy she was that she found the perfect gift for us that year.
Twenty years later, the coat and blanket are still lovely and toasty warm. There has never been a day when I slipped into the coat or slid under the blanket that I didn't have warm thoughts of Barbara's kindness. Giving a cold body something to stay warm is possibly one of the most caring acts of kindness.
I stand corrected referring to cold temps in the South as bearable. It is bearable only if you are not one of the homeless or one of the 200,000 currently without power. Days like today remind us what it is like to be so cold you would appreciate anything to keep you warm.
A young lady at our church has been collecting coats and blankets and taking them to Atlanta's homeless. I cleared our closets of several coats, save the one Barbara gave me. I have no idea how I acquired a closet full of coats, many of which are now on their way to Atlanta along with a wish for a little bit of warmth on an extremely cold day.
"God bless us, everyone." ~ Master Cratchit
~ LowTide explorer, Carolyn Fjeran
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