THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1997, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, January 12, 1997 TAG: 9701120052
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B1 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: ELIZABETH SIMPSON
LENGTH: 169 lines
This is a story about an act of kindness, a lesson in values, and the reward of giving without expecting anything in return.
I heard it from a woman who called a few days ago and asked that her name not be used, for reasons that will become clear later.
The 60-year-old woman lives with her husband in the Point O' Woods neighborhood of Virginia Beach. For the past few years, her letter carrier has been a woman named Desiree Montague. The two would often exchange hellos and small talk when Montague delivered mail to the woman's home.
One day last summer, Montague noticed the couple's truck in the driveway more often. Turns out the husband, who has leukemia, was going through some rough times and had been in the hospital or bedridden at home.
Montague talked with the woman about this, then said she noticed the grass was getting tall. ``We have five kids,'' Montague said. ``We're trying to teach them to be helpful. Would you mind if we came over and helped you out?''
It was almost as if Montague were asking the woman a favor.
Of course, the woman said yes, and from that time on, Montague, her husband, Vincent, and their two sons, 13-year-old Vincent Jr. and 8-year-old Roberto, would come by every week or so to care for the lawn. Their three daughters, 12-year-old Delilah, 9-year-old Darlene, and 7-year-old Doris also helped, often visiting with the woman.
While the children worked, the woman got to know the parents. How they had moved here from Ohio. How they had just adopted a son and daughter earlier that year because they knew there were children in need of families. How important they thought it was to teach children values.
And the woman came away from those Saturday work days with an immense amount of respect for the Montague family.
Vincent Jr., tall and lanky, nods his head when asked if he learned anything from the experience: ``I learned to take responsibility.''
This is the kind of story that usually doesn't make the paper, but maybe it should. Because it shows that people still connect in a fast-paced world. Relationships made on happenstance can and do grow into something meaningful.
Perhaps more important, the story points out that there are still parents out there who consider teaching their children values a full-time job. They don't wait for the schools, the TV industry or the neighborhood rec center to do it.
That is the moral of this story, but not the end of it. What Montague doesn't know, but what she will find out if she reads this column today, is that the Point O' Woods woman received some inheritance money in the time since the Montague family helped her out this summer, which is why she'd rather not have her name printed.
She'd like to set up a scholarship fund for Vincent and his siblings to help them buy books when they get in college. (Anyone who has advice on the best way to do this, please call me at 490-7229 and I will relay the information to her.)
It is not a big favor, she says, just a small one. Her way of saying thank you.
``They helped us out when no one else offered to,'' said the woman. ``I think they're an exceptional family who are doing things right when a lot of families are doing things wrong. And they deserve to be in the newspaper.''
I couldn't agree with her more.
This is a story about an act of kindness, a lesson in values, and the reward of giving without expecting anything in return.
I heard it from a woman who called a few days ago and asked that her name not be used, for reasons that will become clear later.
The 60-year-old woman lives with her husband in the Point O' Woods neighborhood of Virginia Beach. For the past few years, her letter carrier has been a woman named Desiree Montague. The two would often exchange hellos and small talk when Montague delivered mail to the woman's home.
One day last summer, Montague noticed the couple's truck in the driveway more often. Turns out the husband, who has leukemia, was going through some rough times and had been in the hospital or bedridden at home.
Montague talked with the woman about this, then said she noticed the grass was getting tall. ``We have five kids,'' Montague said. ``We're trying to teach them to be helpful. Would you mind if we came over and helped you out?''
It was almost as if Montague were asking the woman a favor.
Of course, the woman said yes, and from that time on, Montague, her husband, Vincent, and their two sons, 13-year-old Vincent Jr. and 8-year-old Roberto, would come by every week or so to care for the lawn. Their three daughters, 12-year-old Delilah, 9-year-old Darlene, and 7-year-old Doris also helped, often visiting with the woman.
While the children worked, the woman got to know the parents. How they had moved here from Ohio. How they had just adopted a son and daughter earlier that year because they knew there were children in need of families. How important they thought it was to teach children values.
And the woman came away from those Saturday work days with an immense amount of respect for the Montague family.
Vincent Jr., tall and lanky, nods his head when asked if he learned anything from the experience: ``I learned to take responsibility.''
This is the kind of story that usually doesn't make the paper, but maybe it should. Because it shows that people still connect in a fast-paced world. Relationships made on happenstance can and do grow into somethingmeaningful.
Perhaps more important, the story points out that there are still parents out there who consider teaching their children values a full-time job. They don't wait for the schools, the TV industry or the neighborhood rec center to do it.
That is the moral of this story, but not the end of it. What Montague doesn't know, but what she will find out if she reads this column today, is that the Point O' Woods woman received some inheritance money in the time since the Montague family helped her out this summer, which is why she'd rather not have her name printed.
She'd like to set up a scholarship fund for Vincent and his siblings to help them buy books when they get in college. (Anyone who has advice on the best way to do this, please call me at 490-7229 and I will relay the information to her.)
It is not a big favor, she says, just a small one. Her way of saying thank you.
``They helped us out when no one else offered to,'' said the woman. ``I think they're an exceptional family who are doing things right when a lot of families are doing things wrong. And they deserve to be in the newspaper.''
I couldn't agree with her more.
This is a story about an act of kindness, a lesson in values, and the reward of giving without expecting anything in return.
I heard it from a woman who called a few days ago and asked that her name not be used, for reasons that will become clear later.
The 60-year-old woman lives with her husband in the Point O' Woods neighborhood of Virginia Beach. For the past few years, her letter carrier has been a woman named Desiree Montague. The two would often exchange hellos and small talk when Montague delivered mail to the woman's home.
One day last summer, Montague noticed the couple's truck in the driveway more often. Turns out the husband, who has leukemia, was going through some rough times and had been in the hospital or bedridden at home.
Montague talked with the woman about this, then said she noticed the grass was getting tall. ``We have five kids,'' Montague said. ``We're trying to teach them to be helpful. Would you mind if we came over and helped you out?''
It was almost as if Montague were asking the woman a favor.
Of course, the woman said yes, and from that time on, Montague, her husband, Vincent, and their two sons, 13-year-old Vincent Jr. and 8-year-old Roberto, would come by every week or so to care for the lawn. Their three daughters, 12-year-old Delilah, 9-year-old Darlene, and 7-year-old Doris also helped, often visiting with the woman.
While the children worked, the woman got to know the parents. How they had moved here from Ohio. How they had just adopted a son and daughter earlier that year because they knew there were children in need of families. How important they thought it was to teach children values.
And the woman came away from those Saturday work days with an immense amount of respect for the Montague family.
Vincent Jr., tall and lanky, nods his head when asked if he learned anything from the experience: ``I learned to take responsibility.''
This is the kind of story that usually doesn't make the paper, but maybe it should. Because it shows that people still connect in a fast-paced world. Relationships made on happenstance can and do grow into something
meaningful.
Perhaps more important, the story points out that there are still parents out there who consider teaching their children values a full-time job. They don't wait for the schools, the TV industry or the neighborhood rec center to do it.
That is the moral of this story, but not the end of it. What Montague doesn't know, but what she will find out if she reads this column today, is that the Point O' Woods woman received some inheritance money in the time since the Montague family helped her out this summer, which is why she'd rather not have her name printed.
She'd like to set up a scholarship fund for Vincent and his siblings to help them buy books when they get in college. (Anyone who has advice on the best way to do this, please call me at 490-7229 and I will relay the information to her.)
It is not a big favor, she says, just a small one. Her way of saying thank you.
``They helped us out when no one else offered to,'' said the woman. ``I think they're an exceptional family who are doing things right when a lot of families are doing things wrong. And they deserve to be in the newspaper.''
I couldn't agree with her more. MEMO: Elizabeth Simpson's column moves to the Daily Break beginning
Tuesday, Jan. 21. ILLUSTRATION: Color photo
LAWRENCE JACKSON/The Virginian-Pilot
Desiree Montague and her husband, Vincent, with their sons, Vincent
Jr., front, and Roberto, and daughters, from left, Delilah, Darlene
and Doris.