The Basket Lady

In the Good Humor Town, Basket Lady’s heart is filled with an abundance of gratitude to the Stephens High School Alumni Association for a recent donation.

Dr. Robert Saisi, Chairman of the Stephens High School Alumni Association, surprised the Basket Lady in a really big way and at just the perfect time.

You see, recently, our intrepid Chairman of the Rumford Performing Arts Committee, Jim Rinaldo, walked around in the auditorium pensively scratching his head and rubbing his tired eyes trying to think of a way to get new coloring books and boxes of crayons to give to each child at the Festival of Trees without asking one more local business in town for another donation.

A couple of us on the RPA’s Committee, broke open our piggy banks and counted our pennies but you know the old saying, “A day late and a dollar short."

With all of the countless decisions that Jim had to make in order for our fourth annual Festival of Trees event to be a success; wasn’t enough to deter him from wanting to get new coloring books and crayons for the kids; and our chances looked doubtful until the next day, when Robert Saisi called with the glorious news about the SHSAA donation and my heart leapt with joy.

Eagerly, I called the intrepid Jim Rinaldo and shared the good news with him that each child would, indeed, receive a new coloring book and a box of crayons.

Marden’s had a great sale going on as usual and loaded up the shopping cart with large- size coloring books and then over to the Dollar Store, purchased all of their crayon boxes; grabbed up some items for three adult Christmas baskets (that will be given out by a Secret Santa).

While I’ve heard several people say in recent conversations that Christmas is “really” for kids, I nod my head in agreement because I believe that Christmas-the holidays, are really about bringing out that little child that’s inside all of us, the child-like awe and magic that gets lost in the demands of everyday life.

Of course, the giving and getting of gifts usually adds a nice touch to the holidays, however, we don’t require any special occasion to be in tune to our child-like qualities.

During Rumford’s Pumpkin fest, there was a lull in the activities as folks gathered on Congress Street in anticipation of the Headless Horseman riding through our downtown. Paula Puiia was standing next to me on the street corner next to Key Bank and we struck up a conversation about how much fun it must be to ride on a horse as a headless person!

Paula commented that Carlo was always very present to his child-like qualities and that he enjoyed wearing various costumes for fun and loved to play games with his grandchildren down on the floor, or outdoors in a tent, or on a play-ground and that he’s not fazed by what anyone might think of his being fully present to whatever he’s doing.

Basket Lady admires anyone whose comfortable being in the present moment. There are not too many people that can just be in the present. Ask yourself, “How good are you at being in the present?”

To Dot’s every day kindness angels, the Stephens High School Alumni Association: thank you, thank you, thank you, very kindly.

Get a basket-give a basket.

We miss you every day, Dot Sanchas! Until then, smile and live in the present.