DEAR CARL by Anna Friend

Hello, Dear Carl fans,

I am thankful for your support of Carl’s mom. She has made a fresh start in the new year. In her mid- 80s, continuing to thrive for quality of life and establishing a legacy of family love.

Carl’s mom had lived in North Carolina for most of her life. She was a southern transplant and had enjoyed the culture, hospitality, and high regard for kin—family closeness. She became a widow in her early 40s and has only one son. Carl was just entering college when his dad died. Carl married a beautiful woman (Donna) with ties in Arizona. He moved and established his home in Arizona soon after college. Carl has 2 sons and is a grandfather of 3 children. Carl’s mom had friends and community work she enjoyed in North Carolina that kept her from moving to Arizona upon her husband’s death. She had lived in the home where she and her husband shared most of their married lives. She eventually moved into a senior living cottage, where every week she sat at her dining table and wrote her son a handwritten letter, though he called her almost every Sunday. Near her ending years, she moved to Arizona to live with her son and his wife in Arizona. She continues to write her son letters to put away for him to read after her passing for comfort and encouragement. This letter is one he would read after her death. She writes in the present tense because she is alive while writing them. I hope you enjoy. — Anna

My Dearest Carl,

Today, I slept in. I sleep in a little later each week. Being an early riser for many years probably earns me the right to sleep later, but I feel like I miss out on living more life. Son, I have been more tired than I have been in years, yet I do so little. The body has a way of telling you to slow down. I read an article once where a doctor said, “You only have so many heartbeats in a lifetime. Take a nap.” I guess it’s a good idea to not work my heart too much.

I was reading about God instilling gifts in us to use for His purpose. I don’t know what He has given me, but I know I like to talk, write letters, and do nice things for people. Today, I want to cook something. Donna has a sparkling, clean kitchen since the housekeeper came in yesterday. Do I dare make something? Well, yes! I want to make pies. Peaches are calling me from the terra cotta bowl on the counter. There is something about lightly handling dough for pie crusts. I like the way it feels and rolling it out is gratifying. I read a recipe yesterday that said to use equal parts of water and cold Vodka to the crust mix. We don’t have vodka, but our neighbors do. Can you imagine an old woman in her 80s knocking on their door and saying may I have some vodka? Son, I wouldn’t do that to you—ice water will do. Peeling the peaches will be the hardest part. When you come home today, I hope the house smells sweet. I want to take Ken and Joan a pie next door. I hope Joan shares with Ken. She’s a diabetic but you would not know it.

Donna and you seem to have found your call from God. I love the time you invest in facilitating your different support groups. I see you making church attendance and fellowship more a priority. Just think, before you came to know my Jesus, you were already doing the good and using gifts God had put in you. We all have purpose, son. Donna loves her make-up, manicures, pedicures, and fashion jewelry. Today she is at the hospital doing her mini-makeovers for women with cancer. Last month, I was mortified she bought them bright orange nail polishes and lipsticks, and when she saw the shock on my face as she was packing, she said, “Mom, they need color, they need to look alive and happy.” She always comes home with her makeup smeared under her eyes, and nose powder gone. I know she cries all the way home. It blesses my heart that you are helping Ken get his old Pontiac GTO running again. He is not going to live to see it done, most likely, but his eyes light up when he tells me how he is working on his muscle car. He always fails to mention that you are the one under the hood. He has purpose and something to look forward to on Thursday evenings with you. We all can do something. We all are to do something.

I am in heaven as you are reading this, and I am still serving. I may not be writing letters or baking pies, but the gift of talk most likely never leaves. I bet I have already exhausted Jesus with so many questions. I have odd ones to ask. “Why did you make fleas, mosquitos, and flies?” “If hair was for our protection, why did we grow it under our arms?” and “Why did you make sugar taste so good if it’s bad for us?” The answers won’t really matter, but I wonder. How will I serve God in heaven? I guess I know now, but this morning I am alive and writing this letter. We are to serve Him now. Son, serve with a heart of cheerfulness. Serve and work as unto Him. Prepare your heart with prayer and ask Him to reveal His will for you each day. He may have a task list for you, or He may tell you to “take a nap”.

“Work willingly at whatever you do, as though you were working for the Lord rather than for people.” (Colossians 3:23 NLT)

“Each person should do as he has decided in his heart—not reluctantly or out of necessity, for God loves a cheerful giver.” (2 Corinthians 9:7 HCSB)

“There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit distributes them. There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord. There are different kinds of working, but in all of them and in everyone it is the same God at work. (1 Corinthians 12:4-6 NIV )

Anna Friend