It is better to do good than argue about what doing good is. That’s the Motto of the Army Of Good: we’ve done a lot of good. And good always breeds good.
Several years ago, while volunteering at the Mansion, an assisted living facility in my hometown of Cambridge, I visited the people in Memory Care with Zinnia, my therapy dog. I was astonished to meet Jane Riek, a quiet, gentle woman who never spoke but who was an astonishing artist.
I especially loved working with Zinnia in the Memory Care Unit; the spirits were pure and beautiful.
Art was not something Jane had ever done before, and though she was primarily silent, her soul and creativity were wistful and beautiful. She painted every morning when she got up, and I was so impressed that we did a show for her at the mansion.
She and I became good friends; she always greeted me with a hug and a kiss on the forehead, and she liked to hold my hand while she painted. Maria got to know and loved her in the art class she conducted, and still does. Jane loved to work with her, and Jane also loved Zinnia.
Jane always beamed at the sight of Zinnia, reached down to pet her, and smiled. Zinnia, a gifted therapy dog, would focus on Jane’s needs while she painted. Jane could just read down and touch her. Seeing what animals meant to the people in the Mansion was an extraordinary experience.
Joan and I never got to speak much, yet we talked all the time in our own way; love flowed back and forth between us. She had more to say to me than most people, and she never made a sound.
The Mansion was taken over a year or so ago, and things changed. I moved on. I now focus most of my “good” work at the Cambridge Food Pantry. I have always believed that good does good and hatred breeds hate. Jane died last year, and I can say quite comfortably that we loved each other. Her family was loving and kind, as she was.
This morning, the Food Pantry got a letter from Jane’s Family. It said:
“In memory of Jane and honor of Jon, Maria & Zinnia, we wish to donate $1,000 to the Cambridge Food Pantry. Jon, Maria & Zinnia were instrumental in Jane’s success and longevity while a resident of the Mansion’s Memory Care Unit. God Bless and thank you from a very grateful family, the family of Joan Riek.”
No, God Bless You and Jane; she had a great heart.