Apples

One of my neighbors upstairs is a young lady just starting out on her own in the world. It's obvious she doesn't make much money, just enough to get her by. But, she seems so alive, so naive about the life ahead of her, and so ready to face the world as a young woman.

Her mother visits her often, and often she makes sure her daughter has enough food to sustain her. In so doing, she brings an abundance of groceries that her daughter tells me, "I'll never eat all of it, and I'd hate for it to go to waste..." as she makes her way to Miss May May's door to see if she wants some of her abundance...

Today, she carried two bags of apples in her small and uncalloused hands. Her smile was as bright as the sunshine as she knocked on Miss May May's door.

There was no answer.

Returning to climb the stairs again I asked her, "What do you have?"

She said, "Apples...would you like them?"

I said, "Sure, I'll take them!"

She handed them to me and continued her climb back to her apartment.

I pared and sliced all of them and sealed them up and put them in the freezer for safekeeping. Maybe someday soon I'll make a cobbler. Maybe someday soon I'll share it with her.

And, I pray that young lady never loses her smile.