Conversations

It all began when I had dinner out with one of my dearest friends. She'll recognize herself in this blog.



K: Ruth - you need to have your hearing tested. You don't hear well any more!

Me: I'm o.k. I think I hear fine.

K: No - you are always saying - "What did you say?"

Me: Hmmmmm



Next day - with two other friends - M. (age 93) and E. (in her 80's)



Me: One of my friends told me I need to having my ears tested and need hearing aids.

M: - If people would just talk slower and notmumble I could hear just fine.

E: - Yes, and if they would enunciate that would help!

So there you are folks - speak slower and enunciate and we'll be just fine!

It all began when I made one of my regular phone calls to my 92 yr. old sister. After we'd gone through news of both our families she said something like this:

Jane: You're a computer whiz. Why don't you try to find Mike Barber (our nephew)
Me: You don't know who you're calling a computer whiz. I hardly know how to turn on the computer.
Jane: Well, I hate to lose track of him.
Me: O.K. Where do you think he lives?
Jane: The last time I heard, he was in Arizona.

So, being the computer whiz which she thinks I am, I googled White Pages, Arizona. There were 6 Michael Barbers, but one had a wife named Madel that sounded vaguely familiar.

Now to give you a little background - Mike, and his brother Ron, are sons of my deceased brother, Ken. For a lot of reasons that I won't go into, Mike and Ron were sometimes in our hometown in New York, and sometimes with their mother in Washington State. When he graduated high school he joined the army, and has made a career out of it. He apparently is quite good at learning languages, and spent quite a bit of time in Panama where he met his wife.
The last time I'd had contact with Mike was when we were in Brazil. At that time he was in Germany with his family (3 boys). Ken's widow was still alive at that time and she had given me his e-mail address. We corresponded for a couple of times, but lost contact again.

I called the number that was given and left a message on his machine.

"Mike, I think I am your Aunt Ruth. If you spent some time in your growing up years in Lima, NY, and if you have a brother, Ron, and your Dad's name was Ken, please call me at -----------."

Then, while I was out Mike called and left a message on my machine. I had, indeed, gotten the right Mike.

Since then Mike (who is now deployed to Afghanistan) and I have kept up correspondence. I don't want to lose him again.

The best thing is that Mike, his wife, and three sons are all Christians. What a joy to "meet" this man who is not only my long lost nephew, but also my brother in Christ.