Stories from the Stringam Family Ranches of Southern Alberta

From the 50s and 60s to today . . .



Thursday, February 16, 2017

Just Like Her

We are impacted by other people. It’s just a fact of living.
Sometimes for good. Sometimes bad.
And sometimes, it changes your life.

I have a friend. I’ll call her ‘Carmen’.
She is one of those people you can call a true friend. Kind. Understanding. Patient. Incredibly talented.
And there when you need them . . .
The small community in which I lived was peopled primarily by farm folk.
Men and women who had settled the land, carved out the acres.
Planted crops.
And raised families.
Many of their children had returned to raise their families.
The circle of farm life.
Husby and I were a part of that secondary group.
We had several small children. Husby had a full-time job. I ran the household and sold stitchery.
And we both had community and church commitments.
At times these duties necessitated our leaving our children in the care of others for a few hours.
Mostly, we left them with grammas.
But occasionally, that avenue wasn’t available.
And that was when we would throw ourselves on the mercy of our friends.
The conversation usually went something like this:
Me: “Hi! It’s Diane.”
Friend: “Hi!”
Me: “I’m sorry to ask you this on such short notice, but I need to ask a favour.”
Friend: “What is it?”
I would proceed to ask the favour and they would accept or refuse and I would (A) Bring them my kids, or (B) Start dialing again.
But there was one household in which the conversation went—a bit differently. ‘Carmen’s’.
There, it more closely followed these lines:
Me: “Hi! It’s Diane!”
Carmen: “Hi!”
Me: “I’m sorry to ask you this on such short notice, but I need to ask a favour.”
‘Carmen’: “Sure! I’d love to!”
See the difference?
Though she probably suspected what I was about to ask, she never made me feel as though my upcoming question was an imposition. (And, let’s face it, it probably was.)
I decided I wanted to do the same.
Be the same.
Make whoever asked me for a favour feel they were doing me said favour.
I’m sure I stumble. I’m sure I have, at times, been ungracious.
But I’m trying.
Someday, I’ll be like ‘Carmen’.

12 comments:

  1. That is a good lesson, and one I could brush up on. Being introverted makes it necessary to stiffen my spine to do this, but it always feels good afterward. Carmen is a good role model!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. She taught me this over 35 years ago, Jenny. And she's teaching it still! And I'm still trying to learn!

      Delete
  2. Oh man--I wish everyone could know Carmen-every time I have been in her company there is always laughter--and hearty laughter at that. Not only that but you come away feeling like your problems are just a bit smaller. I have thought alot lately about what this dear lady has experienced in life, and I wouldn't have blamed her one bit for losing her laugh. A friend of mine once said, "Carmen is my mentor". And I couldn't have agreed more--there is no better one to follow--like I said--I wish everyone could know Carmen:))

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. It's so true, Patty! We are so blessed to have her in our lives!

      Delete
  3. Oh, I could have so used a Carmen in my life some years ago - it makes me look carefully at myself. No, I am no Carmen. Our world would be such a better place, and it all starts with each of us.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Replies
    1. Thank you, Delores! I've had a lot of good examples. Someday, I'll get there! :)

      Delete
  5. A few more Carmen's scattered throughout the world would be a good thing. You're well on the way to becoming a Carmen yourself.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I SO agree!
      Thanks so much, River! I would love to reach her level!

      Delete

Thank you for visiting! Drop by again!

Real Estates: All Murders Included in the Price!

Real Estates: All Murders Included in the Price!
My FIRST murder mystery!

Blessed by a Curse

Blessed by a Curse
My very first Medieval Romance!

God's Tree

God's Tree
For the Children

Third in the series

Third in the series
Deborah. Fugitive of Faith

The Long-Awaited Sequel to Daughter of Ishmael

The Long-Awaited Sequel to Daughter of Ishmael
A House Divided is now available at all fine bookstores and on Amazon.com and .ca!

Daughter of Ishmael

Daughter of Ishmael
Now available at Amazon.com and .ca and Chapters.ca and other fine bookstores.

Romance still wins!

Romance still wins!
First romance in a decade!

Hosts: Your Room's Ready

Hosts: Your Room's Ready
A fun romp through the world's most haunted hotel!

Hugs, Delivered.

Compass Book Ratings

Compass Book Ratings

Ghost of the Overlook

Ghost of the Overlook
Need a fright?

My Granddaughter is Carrying on the Legacy!

My Granddaughter is Carrying on the Legacy!
New Tween Novel!

Gnome for Christmas

Gnome for Christmas
The newest in my Christmas Series

SnowMan

SnowMan
A heart warming story of love and sacrifice.

Translate

My novel, Carving Angels

My novel, Carving Angels
Read it! You know you want to!

My Second Novel: Kris Kringle's Magic

My Second Novel: Kris Kringle's Magic
What could be better than a second Christmas story?!

Join me on Maven

Connect with me on Maven

Essence

Essence
A scientist and his son struggle to keep their earth-shattering discovery out of the wrong hands.

Essence: A Second Dose

Essence: A Second Dose
Captured and imprisoned, a scientist and his son use their amazing discovery to foil evil plans.

Looking for a Great Read?

E-Books by Diane Stringam Tolley
Available from Smashwords.com

The Babysitter

The Babysitter
A baby-kidnapping ring has its eye on J'Aime and her tiny niece.

Melissa

Melissa
Haunted by her past, Melissa must carve a future. Without Cain.

Devon

Devon
Following tragedy, Devon retreats to the solitude of the prairie. Until a girl is dropped in his lap.

Pearl, Why You Little...

Pearl, Why You Little...
Everyone should spend a little time with Pearl!

The Marketing Mentress

The Marketing Mentress
Building solid relationships with podcast and LinkedIn marketing

Coffee Row

Coffee Row
My Big Brother's Stories

Better Blogger Network

Semper Fidelis

Semper Fidelis
I've been given an award!!!

The Liebster Award

The Liebster Award
My good friend and Amazing Blogger, Marcia of Menopausal Mother awarded me . . .

Irresistibly Sweet Award

Irresistibly Sweet Award
Delores, my good friend from The Feathered Nest, has nominated me!

Sunshine Award!!!

Sunshine Award!!!
My good friend Red from Oz has nominated me!!!

My very own Humorous Blogger Award From Delores at The Feathered Nest!

Be Courageous!


Grab and Add!

Search This Blog

Ghost of the Overlook

Ghost of the Overlook
Need a fright?