Laurel Elisabeth Stevens

Today Henry and I accompanied Elisabeth to school.  We used to do this daily, back in the fall, until Elisabeth got hooked up with some 8th grade girls.  Now we meet one or two in the morning at the tram stop and Henry and I head home.  But today Elisabeth is going to spend the night at a classmate’s house, so Henry and I thought we would go in the morning.  A couple of months ago Elisabeth would ask me, “Why can’t you take me?  Can you please take me?”  But this morning I saw why she is not asking me so much anymore.  One of the girls held the tram door open for us as we were running late.  If you hold the door open, the tram cannot go.  Sometimes this is quite annoying when local school kids hold the door open for so many people and we sit for a long time, but this morning we weren’t causing any delay and it was just nice to see this small act of kindness.  Then Elisabeth sat down with the three eighth grade girls and Henry and I sat a...

Frau Kranz lives across the street from us.  She is in her early 70s.  Her husband is seven years older.  We often see him out walking, probably takes a couple walks a day.  Several weeks ago Frau Kranz saw me at the grocery store and asked how I got there.  I told her I walked there with friends.  She said, “next time you must ring the doorbell and I will bring you.  You must.”  I smiled and agreed, but I was wondering how I could possibly do that.  I didn’t want to be a bother.  I was too shy.  She would see what I was buying.  I might take too long.  When I was paying for my groceries she asked if she could take my things home for me so I wouldn’t have to carry them.  Oh dear, I thought, she really does want to help!  I said no, I could take them myself and thanked her. But for the rest of the week I procrastinated going to the store, thinking she might see me there and wonder why I hadn’t asked her to bring m...