Whoosh.. this tale starts in the early 90's. SHE met this extremely nice woman called Gayle through a mutual friend and they became good friends.
Gayle was married to an equally nice man called Norman. Both of them have a Scandinavian background but are Americans and when they met they were based here in London.
A nicer, kinder couple it would have been very hard to meet.
SHE knew Gayle, the wife, better than her husband because the two women would meet regularly at least once a week but SHE remembers one happy evening when SHE had both of them to dinner with another couple of Americans whom SHE adored and knew well, Lewis and Suzan Sams from Pine Bluff, Arkansas.. a couple of HER friends whom SHE would say were exactly of the same ethos as Gayle and Norman.
The years went happily by, SHE met their son Hans and then Gayle told HER the news that they were returning to Chicago, which was where they came from.
Many years have passed since then but the two women have kept in contact, SHE always called Gayle whenever SHE flew to or through Chicago and saw her when she came to London.
Several years ago Hans married Holly and they started their family, they have two girls and a boy.
SHE has seen seen several photos of these little folk over the years and watched them turn into
confident and happy looking children.
Old age creeps up on us all and OUR lives change.
The parents sold their apartment in the centre of
Chicago and moved about thirty minutes away from the city. They kept their cottage on Lake Geneva as all of the family enjoy it so much.
Along with changes in OUR old age, sometimes comes ill health and both SHE and her lovely friend have not had an easy five years of 'it'.
Gayle always sends HER a lovely card for Christmas but this year, no card.. "oh no", SHE thought and was just settling down to write to Gayle and Norman when old Posty himself pressed the missing card into HER hand yesterday.
Gayle wrote the following note in the card..
"Dearest ...,
Old age is not for sissies! Many health problems and having to work with new Doctors...
Then there is lots of stuff personal to Gayle and HER and then the two last paragraphs which is why SHE has written this post.
The seven of us will be cosy in our cottage for the holidays. The grandchildren, Hans & Holly are so caring and loving.
You are in my thoughts and prayers as always ...
With love from Norman & Gayle.
XOXO.
Now Dear Readers.. if YOU have not 'got' what SHE is telling YOU.. go back and read the whole post again.
But concentrate on the line "The grandchildren, son and daughter-in-law are so caring and loving".
HER immediate thought was.. yes, MY dear friend and they are like this because you and your husband brought Hans up with manners, morals, love and kindness, the latter two which flow through you and your husband's veins.
Hans married Holly, who also honours her parents-in-law.. what a lovely, lovely card to receive and what an easy, happy letter SHE is plans to write to HER old friend.
Then this Tale changes.. for there is letter which SHE has to send but SHE is not looking forward to writing this one at all. It is to another woman friend, who also lived here in London and moved back to America in 2003.
Casey and her husband, Tom, also Americans, were close friends for many years and, in fact, it was SHE who had introduced their only child to the man, the son of other friends of HERS, whom she married in 2000.
Casey's card made it here in time for the holiday but the content was of a completely different tone. She wrote "that Tom had been very ill but, thank God, was better. And then wrote the dreadful news that her daughter was divorcing, that it was very sad but necessary".. oh dear.
For their daughter and her husband have two sons.
SHE owes it to Casey, a lovely friend, to respond and to express HER profound sadness at having received this news.
But let US be very clear on this.. SHE is not, in any way, suggesting that Casey and Tom did not teach their daughter that manners, morals and to be loving and kind are of prime importance.
Two tales of close friends but oh, what different tales.
GeeGee Parrot.
January 5th, 2014.
Gayle was married to an equally nice man called Norman. Both of them have a Scandinavian background but are Americans and when they met they were based here in London.
A nicer, kinder couple it would have been very hard to meet.
SHE knew Gayle, the wife, better than her husband because the two women would meet regularly at least once a week but SHE remembers one happy evening when SHE had both of them to dinner with another couple of Americans whom SHE adored and knew well, Lewis and Suzan Sams from Pine Bluff, Arkansas.. a couple of HER friends whom SHE would say were exactly of the same ethos as Gayle and Norman.
The years went happily by, SHE met their son Hans and then Gayle told HER the news that they were returning to Chicago, which was where they came from.
Many years have passed since then but the two women have kept in contact, SHE always called Gayle whenever SHE flew to or through Chicago and saw her when she came to London.
Several years ago Hans married Holly and they started their family, they have two girls and a boy.
SHE has seen seen several photos of these little folk over the years and watched them turn into
confident and happy looking children.
Old age creeps up on us all and OUR lives change.
The parents sold their apartment in the centre of
Chicago and moved about thirty minutes away from the city. They kept their cottage on Lake Geneva as all of the family enjoy it so much.
Along with changes in OUR old age, sometimes comes ill health and both SHE and her lovely friend have not had an easy five years of 'it'.
Gayle always sends HER a lovely card for Christmas but this year, no card.. "oh no", SHE thought and was just settling down to write to Gayle and Norman when old Posty himself pressed the missing card into HER hand yesterday.
Gayle wrote the following note in the card..
"Dearest ...,
Old age is not for sissies! Many health problems and having to work with new Doctors...
Then there is lots of stuff personal to Gayle and HER and then the two last paragraphs which is why SHE has written this post.
The seven of us will be cosy in our cottage for the holidays. The grandchildren, Hans & Holly are so caring and loving.
You are in my thoughts and prayers as always ...
With love from Norman & Gayle.
XOXO.
Now Dear Readers.. if YOU have not 'got' what SHE is telling YOU.. go back and read the whole post again.
But concentrate on the line "The grandchildren, son and daughter-in-law are so caring and loving".
HER immediate thought was.. yes, MY dear friend and they are like this because you and your husband brought Hans up with manners, morals, love and kindness, the latter two which flow through you and your husband's veins.
Hans married Holly, who also honours her parents-in-law.. what a lovely, lovely card to receive and what an easy, happy letter SHE is plans to write to HER old friend.
Then this Tale changes.. for there is letter which SHE has to send but SHE is not looking forward to writing this one at all. It is to another woman friend, who also lived here in London and moved back to America in 2003.
Casey and her husband, Tom, also Americans, were close friends for many years and, in fact, it was SHE who had introduced their only child to the man, the son of other friends of HERS, whom she married in 2000.
Casey's card made it here in time for the holiday but the content was of a completely different tone. She wrote "that Tom had been very ill but, thank God, was better. And then wrote the dreadful news that her daughter was divorcing, that it was very sad but necessary".. oh dear.
For their daughter and her husband have two sons.
SHE owes it to Casey, a lovely friend, to respond and to express HER profound sadness at having received this news.
But let US be very clear on this.. SHE is not, in any way, suggesting that Casey and Tom did not teach their daughter that manners, morals and to be loving and kind are of prime importance.
Two tales of close friends but oh, what different tales.
GeeGee Parrot.
January 5th, 2014.
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