On thanksgiving day 2017, I had the privilege of having lunch with Pastor Allan and Beverly Berry. It was a wonderful time of fellowship and conversation. When we were done, Mrs. Berry gave me the large “to go box” with leftovers for me. Along with that she handed me something wrapped in aluminum foil.
“those are for Vincy” she said.
In St. Vincent its common to give any bones to the dog of someone in the group. She had wrapped the bones themselves, but if memory serves me correctly, also added some actual turkey!
That was honestly a very small act but it meant a lot to me…..
Because my dog Vincy (short for Vincentian) was important to me
Pastor and Mrs. Berry loved to give small acts of kindness like leftover turkey bones (and some thanksgiving turkey) for a family dog. Those acts spoke deeply to individuals! A few months ago I was talking with a man who knew the Berrys. He told me years ago that she made him “yam pie” (yam is dug from the ground, and she made it into what was probably a casserole type dish) all those years later he fondly remembered the day she gave a plate of food to a hungry man.
What makes acts of kindness so special is they are done with that particular person in mind. The Berry’s knew that being from the United States, I’d have a closer relationship with my dog, and view him as part of the family. So they made sure to in a way include him in our thanksgiving meal. It’s not actually the act thats meaningful, but the effort.
It is a wonderful thing to give extravangant gifts to those we love…..
But sometimes a simple gift that speaks their love language is much more powerful
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