A rainbow for Ms. Jean

The kids have been generating a lot of drawings lately -- at the end of every day they have amassed an army of princesses in castles, fairies at tea parties, ballerinas in wedding dresses, and submarines and rocketships (gender stereotypes are alive and well in the Lorelle household). And I don't know what to do with them -- I feel bad throwing them away, but boy, that's a lot of paper to save! So I have taken to mailing them to out-of-town relatives (Hi Nonnie!) or giving them away as thank-yous (like to the clerks at Trader Joe's for putting up with the kids' antics in the store).

Lately Catherine has been sending her tea party pictures to a neighbor across the street who invited her over for tea. I like it; I save a stamp. 

A few days ago Vincent drew a rainbow (a change from his usual rocketship/pirateship/submarine theme) and announced he wanted to give the drawing to Ms. Jean. I almost asked if Ms. Jean was related to the skeleton who lives under his bed and makes periodic appearances in the middle of the night, but then I remembered that we have a homebound neighbor down the street by that name. We had raked leaves for her a few times and talked to her at the mailboxes, but that was it. So I was surprised that Vincent remembered her. 

He happily raced his rainbow down to her mailbox, and that was that. 

This morning, I noticed something taped to our mailbox. It was a note from the reclusive Ms. Jean, and it was a hearty thank-you for the rainbow.

"I have hung it up," she wrote in her unsteady hand, "and touch it every time I go by it. You are a very sweet little boy. My love and thanks again for it, Ms. Jean."

It was Vincent's first piece of mail, and I think he was every bit as thrilled that someone thought about him as Ms. Jean was to receive the rainbow.

Sometimes, like the disciples, I wonder just how I'm supposed to feed the hungry and clothe the naked and visit the sick when I really don't know any. But then I look at how a little boy saw a simple need -- loneliness -- and met it with a rainbow, and I think I understand.