Buddhist Catholic Contemplative Evangelical General Christian Hindu Jewish Latter-day Saint Muslim New Visions Progressive Christian

Beliefs

Topics

Columnists

Resource Library

Research Tools

Video

Podcasts

Thought Readers

Faith In Media Tracker

Newsletters

Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In Subscription Support

Follow Patheos

Home
Evangelical
Miss Davis or Having a Big Impact Merely By Being Nice and Kind

Miss Davis or Having a Big Impact Merely By Being Nice and Kind

Last updated on: October 29, 2019 at 8:55 am by John Mark N. Reynolds

Miss Davis or Having a Big Impact Merely By Being Nice and Kind 2019-10-29T08:55:29-04:00 John Mark N. Reynolds

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

This Halloween I began to think of Miss Davis our neighbor and miss her mightily.

Where have you gone, Miss Davis?

You have gone to God, but if I could, I would be a boy again and knock on your door and say: “Trick or treat.” You would give me a red candy apple, almost the only unwrapped candy we could eat, because you were Miss Davis and my mom knew your gentle soul. As a most unfortunate reflection on my juvenile taste, I preferred a Snickers bar or some other piece of store bought confections, but they were very yummy and I now, with more mature palate, would give a good bit for a bite of one of those sinfully sweet apples.

We could use you Miss Davis, down the hill, across the street, next door. Sadly, neighbors are not as they were, because we are not as were were. The times are better in many ways, thank God, but worse in others. Thank God for progress, but God help us find the kindness, generosity, neighborly virtues of Miss Davis.

She lived alone down the hill in a red brick house filled with what, to my childish eyes, were many beautiful things. If you came to see Miss Davis she would almost surely give you a treat and Mom warned us about admiring anything in her house too much or she might give it to us!

When I think of being nice and kind, always my heart turns to Miss Fanny Davis.

I have intentionally not checked my half-century old memories with Mom and Dad, because I am looking for the residue of a life well spent on a boy. If my memory is wrong in some detail, then still this is what her bounty left in my mind and heart: a haze of generosity, encouragement, and a safe place to get a glass water on a scorching summer day.

Blue sky. Green newly cut grass. Red brick house. Cold water.

That’s what I recall.

Did she work with the hearing impaired? That’s what I dimly recall. She had, I think, audio books: reading made sound and this was a wonder. They were on records: large slabs of vinyl that held so little that one book required countless records. Mayhap or I might slowly be attributing to her every childhood nicety of a certain sort. If so, then she is a worthy placeholder for every kindness.

There is a lamp, most lovely, that sparked my imagination with its thumb glass from a different era. If you were starved for beauty in the ugly Seventies, the malaise could be cured just with that lamp. I worried about breaking it and now decades later can report: I did not!

There was one almost-friend who never became a close friend, because she was mean to Miss Davis! Who would scare the kindest lady in our town? Miss Davis, however, could not (I think!) quite bring herself to dislike even this little malefactor.

All this is very little to remember of a soul: childish recollections that are mostly centered on stuff and my reactions to her kindness. How I wish I had been just a bit older to hear her stories, her talk!

The minister and PBS personality Fred Rogers is having a moment: we miss his gentleness.

Just so.

But I know this: I knew a gentle soul, a generous soul that loved grubby children and gave us apples, water, and gifted many. This was so much: the big impact of being consistently nice and kind.

One thought: perhaps this Halloween, Mrs. Hope and I can answer the door and give generous handfuls of wrapped candy (less trusting times) and decorate “big time.” We can be nice and kind knowing that, just perhaps, someone can view Saint Anne’s Villa on No Hill Whatsoever as a jolly house full of merriment.

We can walk as she walked making nostalgia a nudge to present niceties and kindnesses.

God bless you Miss Davis. Pray for us.

Culture

Pop Culture

Spiritual Reflections

Previous Post

October 28, 2019

In Mild Praise of Professional Sports Fandom (A Summation)

Next Post

October 30, 2019 Don’t Listen to the Witchy Witches, the Rest Mayhap (Macbeth)

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category Apologetics Art Culture Education On Books On Education Philosophy Politics Pop Culture Spiritual Reflections Uncategorized

Select a Month October 2026 September 2026 August 2026 July 2026 July 2025 June 2025 September 2024 July 2024 June 2024 December 2023 June 2023 September 2022 May 2022 April 2022 March 2022 February 2022 July 2021 June 2021 May 2021 April 2021 March 2021 February 2021 January 2021 December 2020 November 2020 October 2020 September 2020 August 2020 July 2020 June 2020 May 2020 April 2020 March 2020 February 2020 January 2020 December 2019 November 2019 October 2019 September 2019 August 2019 July 2019 June 2019 May 2019 April 2019 March 2019 February 2019 January 2019 December 2018 November 2018 October 2018 September 2018 August 2018 July 2018 June 2018 May 2018 April 2018 March 2018 February 2018 January 2018 December 2017 November 2017 October 2017 September 2017 August 2017 July 2017 June 2017 May 2017 April 2017 March 2017 February 2017 January 2017 December 2016 November 2016 October 2016 September 2016 August 2016 July 2016 June 2016 May 2016 April 2016 March 2016 February 2016 January 2016 December 2015 November 2015 October 2015 September 2015 August 2015 July 2015 June 2015 May 2015 April 2015 March 2015 February 2015 January 2015 November 2014 October 2014 September 2014 August 2014 July 2014 June 2014 May 2014 April 2014 March 2014 February 2014 January 2014 December 2013 November 2013 October 2013 September 2013 August 2013 July 2013 June 2013 May 2013 April 2013 March 2013 February 2013 January 2013 December 2012 November 2012 October 2012 September 2012 August 2012 July 2012 June 2012 May 2012

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz

What is the meaning of the word "Golgotha"?

Select your answer to see how you score.

Place of the Skull River of Blood City of Bread Peaceful Garden

Books by This Author John Mark Reynolds

See All Titles »