Debra Basham

Living and Loving

Tag: Veteran

  • Ramped-up Service

    The hope to get him home was sincere and unrelenting, but the barriers were significant. His condition was largely due to Agent Orange exposure during the Vietnam war. And he had been Post Commander.

    Two Vets came forth — they were willing to drive him and his wife (and their two big dogs) from Southwest Florida to mid-Michigan. A van needed to be rented and fitted with a bed and commode. The Post offered to cover expenses.

    But they also needed a ramp at home so they could get him into the house. Time was short, but timing was divine. The day his wife called her daughter, her daughter called her mother-in-law. The local post had a loaner ramp being returned that very day. Within 48 hours the ramp had been installed and was ready to welcome him home – truly ramped-up service for a truly deserving service-man!

    “Most of the important things in the world have been accomplished by people who have kept on trying when there seemed to be no hope at all.” — Dale Carnegie

  • Acts of Kindness

    She met him while riding bike with her parents during a week’s visit in the Fort Myers, Florida, area. A Veteran, he was laboriously walking with a cane, pulling a basket behind him, stopping every few steps to lean and breathe. Her dad asked him, “Are you going to make it home?”

    “As long as I don’t pass out….” was the reply.

    She was off her bike, and began pulling his heavy load, holding his hand to support him as her parents pushed her bike along behind.

    They made it to his house where she helped get his purchases into the house. She was bereft when she rejoined her mom and dad. “No one should have to live like that….” they heard her say over-and-over between sobs describing despicable conditions. As they rode back home she spoke of getting him a better cart and filling it with supplies.

    Acts of kindness must have some special attention from LIFE, because the community where her parents winter was having a trash-to-treasure sale with pre-sales to the volunteers the next morning. When the neighbor across the street learned of their intention, he picked them up in his golf kart and they were able to buy a very high-end walker with a seat.

    They fitted the walker with a basket and later went shopping so the walker will be delivered filled with two bags of pull-tab and non-perishable foods!

    No act of kindness, no matter how small, is ever wasted. ~ Aesop