| tweezers74 |
11-15-2012 11:18 PM |
Calling all the Secret Pelican Elves out there...
I don’t even know who to direct this to because Joe didn’t break his code of silence even though I put him through the third degree. And as a side note, Sidney, you are in trouble for handing out my phone number. :p
So even though I don’t know who to direct this to, other than poor Joe who had to deal with me on the phone, I wanted to send out a response.
I don’t know which Pelicans organized this plan to help me but my first reaction was “no way”. My intention of the other thread was to vent. Get some ideas. I told Joe you guys were my “virtual beer buddies”. I sit down, have a beer and tell you my woes. You guys give me a couple of “whoa, that sucks”, “you’ll be OK, kid”, and “suck it up”, and I would get up and tell myself you guys were right and that’s it. I kept telling Joe over and over that I was fine. That my boys are fine. That Christmas will be fine. The boys have two and a half sets of grandparents that will easily fill the gap. I kept telling him that there were many people worse off than me and to tell these secret Pelican elves to help them, not me. His response? “We know there are and we will help them too. The difference is that you are a Pelican.” Whoa. What do I say to that? My damn pride got in the way at the beginning but when I hung up that phone and I sat there thinking about the conversation I had with Joe, I was overwhelmed. Emotionally overwhelmed. Like I said, I have never been in this situation, ever. I am always the person donating, buying presents for the kid that wrote their wish list on the paper angel off the mall Christmas tree, bagging up the presents to surprise the “family in need”. Never have I been on the receiving end. It is very humbling. In some ways, shameful. I always prided myself in being independent and taking care of myself. One of my flaws. I don’t like asking for or receiving help.
And to tell you honestly, I have no idea what you guys have planned. I know you guys want to get the boys presents because Joe would only ask me what my boys wanted and let nothing else on. But I want you to know that just the thought of strangers, complete strangers, that haven’t even placed their eyes on my face or have heard my voice, are willing to come out of nowhere and help me when I didn’t even ask for it. What can I say to that? I have to be honest and say that it caught me off guard. Ask Joe. And when I hung up the phone and it sunk in, it brought me to tears. I can understand if it was my friends or family, who have some sort of invested interest in my well-being. If they were the ones to ask me if I needed their assistance. But no. The first to offer their help are complete strangers that know me only by my silly posts that surface here now and then. Complete strangers that really have no reason to help me, other than the goodness of their hearts. Like I said, it is overwhelming to be on the receiving end of that. I can seriously say it is the nicest thing anyone has ever done for me in my life. And I don’t care what it is you are planning. It is the thought that you guys took the time out of your schedules to help a gal out in AZ that goes by the name of Tweeze, who happens to be going through some hard times. All I can say is thank you and that you have done enough. Elevated my spirits more than you know. I don’t need more than that. And like I said, my boys will be fine. We don’t need anything right now. Thank you, whoever you are.
Who knew that a year and a half ago, after following the advice of a friend when I wanted to restore my Dad’s Porsche, I would stumble upon this forum? Thinking that I would come, get advice and tips on what to do with the car and go on my merry way. And now, with not even a Porsche to substantiate my presence here on Pelican, you guys have somehow whittled a place in my heart. Just like Joe said, “the difference is you are a Pelican”. I will never forget this gesture of kindness. I know for most of you, the gesture is insignificant. That every year you buy presents for some children, donate money to some charity, bring some food to a shelter. But for me it isn’t. In the future, if any of you find yourself in need of my help, I will never turn down the opportunity to help in any way. This will not be forgotten. And Joe was right, I am a Pelican.
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