It's the written words that matter...

The Gayla Pink Apple

 

I returned home from NYC yesterday.  You know that stack of mail waiting for you upon returning from travels?  I seldom pay much attention to it - seems seldom does the stack contain too much that is of interest to me.  But, yesterday two envelopes stuck out.

 



One was a note from a friend - thanking me for a token gift.  It was written on a very high quality cream colored embossed personalized note card - perfectly written!  Beautiful handwriting and addressed with a touch of class!  Note "city" - very southern, isn't it?  Speaks classy lady with Southern impeccable manners and charm.  I adore it - I admire the beautiful handwriting and the gracious words.  I love my friend, too.

 

The other envelope was a birthday card.  I'm not really surprised it's a card, but I am most surprised who the card is from.  It was from O u i d a!  I'll explain...

 

I moved to Little Rock when I was 22 or 23 years old.  I was starting a job at Arkansas Electric Cooperatives Inc. for their in- house magazine called Rural Arkansas.   The editor was a lady named O u i d a  C o x.  I worked with this lady for a few years and then moved on.  Never saw her again until last December. 

 

My daughter was home visiting and we were getting in the car about to leave Kroger.  A car came barreling in the parking space next to us.  At first I thought the car was about to hit mine.  Lordy, it was an old lady - in her 90's - OMG - it's O U I D A   C O X.  I immediately recognized her.  I hadn't seen her since I was about 25 years old.  She asked me if I could get in my car - that's how close she parked to my vehicle.  I told her who I was - that I had worked for her in my early 20's - and introduced her to my daughter.    

 

O u i d a   didn't really seem to recall who I was - so we exchanged small talk and went on.

 

The following week a mutual friend told me O u i d a  had remembered who I was as she had shared with her our meeting in the Kroger parking lot.  The lady never could drive worth a darn.  She always drove too fast - but that was just O u i d a.  Everyone talked about her driving.  Some things never change, huh!

 

I took my first airplane trip with O u i d a.  We traveled to San Francisco and she showed me the city!  I loved the week we spent in San Francisco.  I was 23 or 24 years old.  It was definitely a little country girl goes to the big city trip.  Ironically, I took my daughter to San Francisco when she graduated from college last May.  She was 22 years old.  I thought so fitting -- I had just taken my young daughter to San Francisco and then a few months later run into the lady who took me to San Francisco when I was about the same age.  Just cool, I think!

 

This sweet birthday card sitting in my pile of mail is from  O u i d a!  Now, that's a nice surprise!  It's a cute little teddy bear - holding a stack of gifts - with a kind note inside saying that she had run across an old address book and saw my birthday listed in it. 

No fancy embossed or engraved stationary - no printed engraved return addressed envelope - but, indeed a return address label sticker of the American flag.  Trust me, she can afford the finest engraved note cards -- she walks the walk in Southern charm and graciousness - just in a little different way.  The card not even Hallmark - LOL - but is priceless to me.  Thank you O u i d a  H.  C o x!  What a wonderful surprise.  I'll be giving you a call soon. 

 

Both of these ladies are my friend.  I adore and love each.  It doesn't matter to me if it's a nice engraved note card or a no name ordinary card - it's the hand written words inside which touch my heart and bring me joy.  Both of these did exactly that.  And, I love both!