Many times as I have written within these blog posts, I have made mention of the power of the "human touch" and its importance to all of us in our lives each and every day. I've been the recipient of it as well as the giver of it numerous times in my life of 57 years and I hope that I never lose sight of just how very much needed it is in order to survive in this world of ours. These past two "first" weeks of living here in Colorado have reminded me of just how important a smile, a touch of the hand, a kind word or two, a friendly wave or a genuinely listening ear can mean to a person. It works for someone just like me or if you are reading this, then someone just like YOU.
My friends, it is not a secret that I am very homesick for things back in Kansas. At first I was afraid to tell anyone, especially my wonderful husband Mike, of just how lonely I was for the familiarity of what had been home for such a very long time. And I sure as heck didn't want anyone to read on a blog post of just how I was struggling to get used to a new life here. I didn't want people to worry about me or to be afraid for me so for a while, I just kept it to myself. Now that's not the wisest of decisions because I know, from past experience, how keeping "secrets" about things that are bothering you is a recipe for disaster, for big trouble down the road. So it didn't take me long to start talking about how I was feeling and by so doing I was able to acknowledge that it wasn't going to be as easy as I thought it would be to switch from one life unto the next. That acknowledgement, that saying out loud "Hey, I miss home, my family and friends back in Kansas" was the best thing that I could do for myself. It kinda takes some courage to admit that but somehow I did.
One thing I have learned quickly in the past two weeks of living here is that lots of people have gone through bouts of sadness/homesickness, just as I am. I have met several of them in fact as I've been out and about taking care of things here. Last week Sunday, I attended church for the first time in Montrose and one of the sweetest little elderly ladies met me at the door. When I told her my story of just being married and moving not even a week earlier from Kansas, she could sense that I was feeling a little lost. She told me that she understood because she too was a "transplant" to the area having come years ago from a place over the mountains to the other side. It took her a long time, she explained, to even remotely get used to living here in this new place that her husband called "home". The kindness of her voice and her gentle hand on my shoulder made me feel better, like I really wasn't alone at that moment in time. That dear little Lutheran woman exhibited the power of the human touch to a lonely and new "transplant" to the area from Kansas, and do you know what the remarkable thing was? She did it without even realizing it. The wonderful lady named Pat who owns the laundry facility that we use has taken me "under her wing" and always greets me with a nice smile and calls me by name every single time I see her. She opens the door for me as I carry in my load and watches for me as I finish up the washing, to do the very same thing when I leave. Knowing a woman as fine as Pat more than makes up for the not so nice feeling I got at the driver's license bureau here when I had to surrender my Kansas license to an employee who sarcastically said to me, "Say goodbye to Kansas cause you aren't there anymore!" as she punched the word "VOID" into my old driver's license. And it's true~for every "not so good" encounter that I have experienced here in Montrose, there have been half a dozen "good" experiences. For the least of these things, Peggy Renfro gives thanks.
What about you all? What kind of a day has it been for you? Has someone shown you the power of the "human touch" today? It could have been the driver that did not cut in front of you when you both got into the McDonald's drive-through lane at the same time. Maybe it was the person who saw you were short a dollar at the grocery store check out and reached into his pocket to help you out. It might have been the neighbour that stopped by for no other reason than to say "hello and how are you?" Perhaps it was a letter or an email from your one true friend who wanted to let you know that they were thinking of you and hoping that life would turn out as you wished for it to. So many possibilities each and every day for any of us and all of us to experience the human touch's great healing power. I hope for you all that you are recipients as well as the givers. Knowing you guys, and I DO know you guys, you've already given it away without even thinking about today. How do I know that? Well, it's cause I know YOU~you're just that kind of person.
As for me, well each day gets somewhat better. Little by little, I have become accustomed more and more to where things are in town and I can actually drive to the various locations without always plugging in an address in the GPS. I have learned a few tricks and one of them is, if I am wanting to head home then the San Juan Mountains had better be visible in my rear view mirror. I finally figured out the Niagra Street is like Adams Street back home in Hutch and Townsend Street, well heck that's just like 30th Street back home. It gets better. I have said it before and will always say again~how grateful I am to have a husband as understanding and kind as Mike Renfro is. Talk about the power of the "human touch", his heart is big and soft, just like mine is. He's a good listener and he likes to talk, just like me. I never have to worry about telling him that I am missing home because he always understands. Little by little, we are putting the house in order but still have a ways to go. We'll make it though~Tomorrow I'm going to make the trip to Gunnison with him as he goes to work in the morning. It will do me good to see some new scenery. I always knew on my previous journeys out here to the western slopes that if I could just make it to Gunnison, then I would be within an hour or so of finding Mike. I'm glad that I did find him.
Have a great evening everyone, please stay safe and well and know that I am so glad, so very thankful that you are my friends. You may be scattered out all over the dang place in Kansas and all points beyond there but in my heart, you are always close by me. Love you guys, all of you!
I learned a lot about the power of the "human touch" in 35 years of teaching. This little group of 5 first graders were some of my students 2 years ago when "old lefty" was in a cast after having been broken to "smithereens" in my crazy curb jumping incident. I will never forget why we took this photo. I had been having a horrible time in doing things with only one good hand/arm combination and foolishly I tried to peel off some stickers for them with "old lefty". It was frustrating, REALLY frustrating. I couldn't do it and between not even being able to peel a corner back to actually ripping a sticker into two pieces, I began to cry, right there in front of them. See that little fellow, second from the left? Well his name is Michael and when he saw the first tear roll down my face, he said to me in the most encouraging and loving voice he knew of...."Come on Mrs. Miller, don't give up. YOU can do it!" And you know what? He was right~I could.
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