I think that I, quite possibly, just had the best conversation of my life . . . with a stranger. Her name is Linda and she called CSS to inquire about the Thanksgiving Buffet at the DECC. I have taken a lot of these calls in the last month or so and many have been straight forward and to the point. The caller gets the information they need and I get any information required for them. Then there are those few who want to chat a bit - there was Ramona who when I asked if I had her contact information correct she replied with "you got it baby." Then there was Jerry, when I asked him how he was doing he replied with a simple "pretty good", but then followed up by saying "do you know what that means? It means I'm pretty and I'm good." Older people tend to make everything sound so much funnier. As much as I enjoyed talking to both Ramona and Jerry it made me sad knowing that, like Linda, they will be spending Thanksgiving alone.
Linda was such a joy to talk to and even tough I was very busy I stopped what I was doing and chatted with her for as long as she wanted, which ended up being about a half hour. I found out that she doesn't like soup unless it's with crackers, but she really likes stew. She loves playing Farmville and has 62 neighbors and 3 different crops that she attends to on the game. The greatest passion of hers seems to be Avon. Many of the women in her family have been Avon reps and she says it's almost tradition. She went on and on about some of her favorite products which she could explain in great detail.
Linda will be 60 in December and will be spending her first holiday season without her mother who passed away this summer. She told me that she has been feeling a bit down thinking about this since she's been starting to put out Christmas decorations, but that our conversation really brightened up her spirit. The thing that Linda didn't realize is the kind of impact she had on me. I sat listening to her with a smile on my face and holding back tears. I knew instantly that Linda deserved something special this holiday season.
In year's past I have done Adopt-a-Family, but this year is about Linda. I am going to bring her food and a few gifts she mentioned that she wished she could afford, but she has no idea I am doing this. I am going to call her and ask her if I could get an Avon brochure from her, something she said she wished she could give me through the phone, then I am going to surprise her with the gifts. I have never been more excited about a holiday surprise than I am now!!
Now, I am asking for a favor. If you or someone you know uses Avon or if your looking for some good holiday gifts this year go to Linda's Avon page and help spread some extra cheer by simply making a purchase from her. All purchases go directly through Avon - she will just get credit for it. It may seem like such a small gesture, but it will go a long way.
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