Culture For The Non-Cultured

My friend, Gail*, told me this story:

Gail was volunteering through New York Cares, an organization that offers people opportunities to volunteer on various projects in the community. She had a 10-week commitment to teach computers to the elderly in Harlem.

There was one woman, Ruth, who was having a particularly tough time getting used to the computer, until my friend stepped in. Gail patiently helped Ruth, and the two became close as the weeks wore on.

Ruth was attending the class so she could communicate with her son and daughter-in-law, who were stationed in Iraq. The family had grown while the war raged: Ruth had a grandchild who lived with his mother on an army base. The baby was born there, and Ruth had never seen him.

As the class continued, Gail helped Ruth hook up a camera to her computer. Ruth’s son arranged it so he could come off the battlefield and onto the army base where his wife and baby resided.

… and on the last day of class, Ruth looked at the computer screen to see her son holding up her grandbaby.

There was not a dry eye in the class.

*Names have been changed in this story.