PENNSYLVANIA -- I summarized this letter to the editor from a Moore Township woman in my column Thursday, but I also promised to run the whole thing here on the blog.
I can give you a little backstory as well. Lisa Hochline’s Weimaraner, Boomer, died unexpectedly at the same time she was dealing with a serious injury suffered by her younger dog, which had collided with a tree, resulting in some paralysis of his back legs. That double tragedy made the kindness you’ll read about that much more welcome.
Here’s her letter. As I wrote in the column, it was too long to run as a letter to the editor.
Thursday evening I found myself unexpectedly having to make the difficult decision to say goodbye to my dog & loving companion of 11 yrs. His body was placed in my car that evening & remained there until I got help the next morning.
I called the Home Depot the next morning to ask if they could cut plywood since I wanted to bury him in a box. When I got to the lumber dept. the man I had asked on the phone was the one that helped me.
When he finished cutting the pieces, I asked him to explain to me how to put it together. As he was explaining, the tears started streaming and the purpose for the box came flowing. He asked me to wait a minute and before I knew it he had summoned a helper and they proceeded to start putting the box together for me.
As I watched and graciously thanked them in amazement for their kindness, I felt compelled to share my story somehow. I asked if they were going to get in trouble for taking the time to build the box to which they replied, “We OK'd it with the assistant manager.”
They loaded the box on the cart, and I proceeded to the checkout counter with tears still welled up in my eyes and as I was about to pay, the same man came running up to the cashier and flagged her to stop.
As he stood in front of me, in my confusion as to what was going on, he just smiled with a tear in his eye and said, “Take it home, there is no charge.”
As I left the store, loaded the box and drove home I could not help but think about all the bad things we read & hear about in the news & on TV every day, and how the small acts of kindness so often go unnoticed or even known. I had NO Idea how I was going to manage building the box because I had no tools and a bad shoulder - both of which this man was not aware of.
To these men I say “Thank You” for your acts of kindness.
Blessings to David Nolf, Kevin Rego (his assistant) & Jason (asst. mgr.) at the BETHLEHEM HOME DEPOT.
Lisa Hochrine & Boomer
(Blogging with Bill White - June 20, 2012)
