I want to write about Mary because I haven’t heard from her for several months now. We had a custom of sending emails of only “Good News” to each other every day. She sent me just one sentence of some good news about something she had happen to her, and then I answered with one sentence of some good news about something I had happen to me. And after that continued for several days, we decided we should keep it up.

An example of some of her “Good News” sentences to me consisted of one as simple as she “finally got her calendar changed.” Also another was that “CVS sold her 2 stamps for 2 cards she had purchased there.” A funny one was when she said that she ate “Bumblebee Stew in downtown Delaware,” and a very nice one was that her sister had “brought her a container of Peach Ice Cream.”

I know I sent her back my good news every day, but I can’t remember any of them right now, so I’ll have to look them up. My computer tells me that some pieces of good news that I sent to Mary are as follows: “I got home from the library without falling down in the mud;” “I boiled all the eggs in one pan, making all the Easter eggs the same color — green.” Also, I wrote that I had “just read the last page of the book “Remember” by Lisa Genova,” and last, but not least, was that “I found my bracelet that was engraved: ‘IT’S ALL GOOD’ that came from a fund raiser for Doug Missman.”

So, that’s some examples of the emails that went back and forth between us every single day for a couple of years. But then, without notice, her emails stopped! However, since I wrote the above, I got a note in the regular mail that stated she is in a nursing home. I need to add that Mary has been wheelchair-bound for most of her adult life, and that most persons in nursing homes do not have access to a computer to send email.

Knowing that she liked cats, I ran across a wonderful nonfiction book of cat stories that was written by a veterinarian. So, I got it for her and mailed it to her at the place mentioned on that one note.

I first met Mary when she came into my office to get some information that was needed for her job. She is a wonderful writer and used to have a column in the Delaware Gazette. She also writes poetry. My favorite poem of hers has to do with the dried leaves blowing around in a breeze, looking like baby birds running around. So, when I see those dried up leaves being blown around outside, looking like baby birds, I think of her poem.

I am aware that Mary and I exchanged “Good News” every day for at least two years. With 365 days a year, it means that in two years, each of us came up with 730 things that fit under the heading of “Good News.” We decided that everyone could benefit from coming up with their own piece of “Good News” every day.

So, Mary, if you are reading this article in the Delaware Gazette, you can call it my “Good News to you” for today.