Last Updated on September 4, 2022
Charlestown residents perform kindnesses for each other every day: comforting home-made soup is left on the shelf of a sick neighbor; birthday cards are sent to people we do (and sometimes do not) know; a neighbor’s shortlist of groceries is added to our own and delivered in person. But I’m not sure that we always realize just how much these small and large acts of neighborliness impact our families.
Forest and I were among the many residents who invited family members to join us for Charlestown’s wonderful Summer Solstice Festival on June 10. But while I knew that my daughter, her husband, and our then-10-year-old granddaughter, Maddie, had a terrific time, I had no idea how much they really had enjoyed it until last week, when the following hand-written note showed up in my mail:
“Dear resident who bought the fun night at Charlestown! I loved all the activities! The food was great and thank you to Orioles Bird for coming and taking a picture with me! My favorite part was the face paint. Also the fireworks were awsome! I hope we can do it next year! From, Maddie Steele”
I was pleasantly surprised by the correspondence (when was the last time you saw a hand-written ‘thank you’ note? I might ask) … and deeply touched that my beautiful granddaughter had reached out to thank all of Charlestown and the generous person who provided us all with a truly fantastic afternoon and evening. The fireworks were the first Maddie had seen here in several years, and she was awed by the variety of activities, special guests and great food that Charlestown and our anonymous “host” had provided for her enjoyment.
Today I noticed that Charlestown is hosting a second exciting festival for residents, staff, family and friends in October … and we can bet that Maddie will be here to enjoy it all … because she is a great aficionado of face painting and loves pumpkin carving. She also loves her many friends here at Charlestown, and as she grows she is learning to truly appreciate their kindness to each other and to her. Hopefully she will be attending special events and visiting residents for many years to come.
Dayle Dawes