The highway signs tonight say "Missing elderly, Dallas, TX," along with the license number of a silver Lexus. This brought a memory flooding back over me.
One Saturday morning I asked Jack to drive to the Lake Arlington branch of Arlington National Bank for me. He took Charleigh-Girl along. Suddenly I realized way too much time had elapsed, and they weren't home. I called his cell phone and heard it ringing in our bedroom. Jack had been a person who NEVER forgot his cell phone, but he had this time. Panic overtook me immediately. I didn't know what to do. I didn't know where to begin to look, and I hated to leave home in case they did manage to return.
I'm afraid it was as long as an hour, but the phone finally rang. It was Jack. I can hardly even type this without crying. Such a heart-breaking voice saying, "I'm lost." He told me he was at a pay phone, but he had no idea where it was. I asked him what he could see from where he was, and he was able to tell me very little. I don't know how I figured it out, but I did, told him to sit tight until I got there, and drove right to them.
Jack and Charleigh-Girl were about the most pitiful sight I have ever seen. They were sitting in his car at the SW corner of the Mansfield Highway and Loop 820 in the large parking lot of a service station. This is a corner at which Jack had stopped hundreds of times in sixteen years of traveling from our home in Meadowbrook to his office in Kennedale. There is hardly a corner with which he should have been more familiar. It is also within sight of the Forest Hill city limits where he grew up.
The amazing thing was that he either remembered our phone number or was able to look it up on a card he carried in his pocket, and that he was able to dial it.
I have no idea how he got to this location. He just as easily could have driven miles away and ended up on one of those signs. This is yet another instance of God's blessing and protection.
Wednesday, June 29, 2011
Saturday, June 18, 2011
I'm Mad.
First I hear that I will be in a higher tax bracket this year because I am a widow! I certainly did not choose to be a single person instead of a couple filing jointly. Am I the only one to whom this doesn't seem to make sense?
But this morning I'm frustrated with American Airlines. I know, what else is new. As long as I can remember we have had an AAdvantage credit card whereby we get miles for every dollar spent. Those miles had to go to either Jack's advantage account or mine. I opted for him to get the miles, even all those years when he was unable to make a purchase or pay a bill. What I didn't know is that, when he died, the miles he had accumulated toward "gold" status would die with him. I got his active miles (the ones which could be used for a free ticket), but even though he was right at the threshold of gold status for life, and even though we earned all those miles as a unit, they are gone. So sorry...too bad...no, you can't talk to anyone else...bye bye.
Really, the advantages of gold status are not that big a deal...early boarding, extra bags...oh, wait, that is a big deal! I'm a world class over-packer. But mainly, of course, it's the principle of the thing! While stewing over this it occurred to me--just think how small a price AA would pay to make a loyal, lifelong customer happy. A couple of extra bags a year.
But this morning I'm frustrated with American Airlines. I know, what else is new. As long as I can remember we have had an AAdvantage credit card whereby we get miles for every dollar spent. Those miles had to go to either Jack's advantage account or mine. I opted for him to get the miles, even all those years when he was unable to make a purchase or pay a bill. What I didn't know is that, when he died, the miles he had accumulated toward "gold" status would die with him. I got his active miles (the ones which could be used for a free ticket), but even though he was right at the threshold of gold status for life, and even though we earned all those miles as a unit, they are gone. So sorry...too bad...no, you can't talk to anyone else...bye bye.
Really, the advantages of gold status are not that big a deal...early boarding, extra bags...oh, wait, that is a big deal! I'm a world class over-packer. But mainly, of course, it's the principle of the thing! While stewing over this it occurred to me--just think how small a price AA would pay to make a loyal, lifelong customer happy. A couple of extra bags a year.
Friday, June 3, 2011
A Heavy Heart Today
My cousin Sarah and her family are heavy on my heart today. Many of you have met Sarah and know how much I love her. Some of you also know that I am headed for her cabin in Alpine, Arizona, soon for the wedding of her daughter, Emily. Also, you may remember that I have been there twice in the summers for "girls' week."
What you probably don't know is that there is a terrible fire called the Wallow fire, burning out of control in Arizona. The last news I read showed it to be only 12 miles SW of Alpine. The little town was evacuated last night. Sarah and her husband Dick had left Alpine yesterday morning for their home in Tucson, where Emily is to have a shower tomorrow.
If you will click here http://www.wmicentral.com/ you will see pictures and stories about the fire. It's very hard for me to look at these. I can't even imagine how it is affecting Sarah's family. Dick built their beautiful log home and "tweaks" it constantly.
Not to mention sweet Emily, the bride-to-be. All the plans have been carefully made for a fabulous wedding on the beautiful deck of the home on June 18th. Of course, these plans have been in the works for months.
Praying friends, will you please pray for an end to this devastating fire? At this point I believe God alone can save Alpine.
What you probably don't know is that there is a terrible fire called the Wallow fire, burning out of control in Arizona. The last news I read showed it to be only 12 miles SW of Alpine. The little town was evacuated last night. Sarah and her husband Dick had left Alpine yesterday morning for their home in Tucson, where Emily is to have a shower tomorrow.
If you will click here http://www.wmicentral.com/ you will see pictures and stories about the fire. It's very hard for me to look at these. I can't even imagine how it is affecting Sarah's family. Dick built their beautiful log home and "tweaks" it constantly.
Not to mention sweet Emily, the bride-to-be. All the plans have been carefully made for a fabulous wedding on the beautiful deck of the home on June 18th. Of course, these plans have been in the works for months.
Praying friends, will you please pray for an end to this devastating fire? At this point I believe God alone can save Alpine.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)