Pandemic Pages

One of the most important things you can do on this earth is to let people know they are not alone.

~Shannon L. Alder

I am always looking for ways to do good and share my faith, like planting seeds. I started with a printed prayer and a five-dollar bill to give away. Then I moved on to rocks on which I painted words. I gave them to people with a prayer. Next, I painted on bathroom tiles left over from a new shower. I found cards with inspirational messages to color, and I gave away my own books when appropriate.

When we go out to eat, I let the waitress choose a card or rock and a prayer. I greet people who come to our condo and offer one of my gifts.

But when the COVID-19 pandemic came, and we were homebound, I lost those interactions with people.

So, I started cleaning and organizing our condo. The bookcase was my first project. I ended up with a pile of eighteen hardcover books. They took up a lot of space. They were piled on the table, the hallway bench, and my desk. I may be creative, but I like things to be organized, not cluttered. It makes me feel uncomfortable.

The night after I organized the books, one week before Easter, I had a dream about what to do with my books.

In my dream, it was apparent I should offer them to the residents of the thirty condos on our street. The dream even gave me a plan of how to do it, involving my husband. And it included a way to do social distancing, to stay six feet away from the neighbors, while he did his part.

The next morning, I couldn’t wait to share my dream with Ron. He agreed to get involved. And when I sat down at the computer, I came up with a three-page handout that he, wearing a facemask, would attach to the front door of each condo without any personal interaction.

It was titled: “Easter: Giving Gifts with Meaning.” The graphic said, “Easter is FOREVER.” In addition to the book summaries, it explained various ways they could let us know which books they would like. (They could choose up to three.) Their options were to return the handout to a box outside our door, to e-mail Ron, or to give him a phone call.

The choices were from nine nonfiction books, nine fiction books and two Bibles. In addition, I also added eight of my titles. The most requested was Angels on Duty: A Collection of Angel Encounters, which was requested by three people.

By Wednesday, we had heard from a third of the residents. They were pleased and surprised. Some called to thank us, even if they didn’t need any books at the time.

Ron wore a facemask when he delivered the books. He left them, plus one of the colored cards with an inspirational message, in a plastic bag at our neighbors’ front doors.

My dream provided more than a solution for sorting out my books. It also gave my neighbors something to occupy their time as they followed the stay-at-home COVID-19 directive.

As for this Type-A woman, things are good. My bookcase is in better shape, and I was able to reach out to my neighbors. And I have a happy heart and a smile on my face, knowing that my dream helped others during this troubling time.

— Phyllis Porter Dolislager —