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BY SUE STATON

Sun Columnist

This past week I was reminded of something my Mom taught me as a young girl. It was a snowy winter day much like the days we have this week. She mentioned that she needed to check on a widow that she knew.

Though we were not close enough to this person that I would know her, my Mom taught me a valuable lesson that day. She told me that the Bible teaches us to look out for the widows. Each time I read that verse in the Bible, I think back to what my Mom taught me.

There are several Bible verses that relate to widows in the Bible. One is in James 1:27

Charles Dickens said, “No one is useless in this world who lightens the burden of another.”

I know Winchester is full of really wonderful people and I am sure that a lot have already been checking in on your neighbors who live alone. Some people have no family at all to check on them. Even a phone call to make sure someone has heat and food is important. For these same people, just getting their mail in for them can help them out.

I can only imagine how those living alone or widowed may have extra worries. Even if it is only thinking what If they were to fall while getting their mail who would take care of them if they became sick or injured. I spoke to a lady today who told me her neighbor checks on her every day and often brings food to her. I was so happy to hear that because she had been on my mind.

There are some, who for one reason or another, do not have a good relationship with their children and may need someone to check on them. Sometimes the smallest things we do may mean a big thing to someone else. It may be the very thing they had worried about.

My Mom was in the hospital when I was in the second grade. She was in the hospital for six weeks once for back surgery. She broke her back while at work at Cowden Manufacturing in Mount Sterling.

For all the time she was in the hospital, we kids got ourselves off to school and did the work around the house. My daddy never missed a day of work, and at night he would go to see my Mom.

We sometime got to go with him to the hospital but because of my age, I could not get to go inside to see her. We had to sit in the car and wait for what seemed an eternity for my dad to come out. It was a hard time for us.

No one ever came to help us with anything, but one lady that was not really well known in the community. She came and helped us wash and iron clothes, cooked us a hot meal and stayed all day one Saturday with us. I will never forget that as long as I live.

We had been taught to fend for ourselves all our life but that extra bit of kindness was never forgotten. Even though others would say, “let us know if you need anything,” she saw a need and did it.

Albert Pike once said, “what we do for ourselves dies with us. What we do for others and the world remains, is immortal.”

I could not help but think of our friend, Katie when I saw this. Sometime the most important thing one can do for another is give of their time.

I hope to be a flicker of hope for someone this week. How about you?

Sue Staton is a Clark County native. She is a wife, mother and grandmother.