I’ve been thinking about my friend Nella today. Nella was actually my mother’s friend. They were as different as two people could be. Nella over six foot, my mother under five. My mother was brash, self-involved, and difficult to love. Nella was soft spoken, doted on others and easy to love. I can still hear her say, “Oh, sweetie,” followed by her smile or gentle laugh or a loving pat on the cheek.
I remember when my first child was born more than 52 years ago. First time mom, I was stuck at home for about 10 weeks since Bob took our one vehicle to work. I didn’t have a lot of friends, and my one close friend had given birth to her first child about a week before me. She too was home.
I was feeling very blue one day, crying a lot, tired, trying to adjust to my suddenly changed lifestyle when the doorbell rang. Standing on my welcome mat was a very welcome sight, Nella. I can still hear her words, “Hey, kiddo, thought you might be lonely so pack up that baby and let’s go for a ride.”
So, I packed up the baby and we went for a ride. Nella’s kindness that day broke the baby blues, and they never came back.
Whenever I read the verse in 1 Thessalonians 5:15, ” …always try to be kind to each other and to everyone else,” I immediately think of Nella. She lived this verse.
One small act of kindness more than 52 years ago, and it is as alive today as it was then. I don’t think Nella ever knew how much that afternoon ride meant to me, but one of these days I’ll have a chance to tell her.
