Sometimes we don’t notice the beauty that surrounds us every day

My Aunt Esther was always a joy to be around. Her spirited and fun-loving personality made every family gathering happy and hilarious. She was great with us kids - that picture is her with my sister and me. Um, a few years ago. She was also great with those who faced significant challenges in their lives. She spent her life caring for adults with handicaps, like Down's Syndrome, Cerebral Palsy, etc. She worked at a place where people could drop off their adult children who could not care for themselves, so the caretaker could go grocery shopping, etc. And she was so wonderful with her clientele. And they loved her. So, so much. When she finally retired at the age of 70 last summer, she was overwhelmed by the love from the community - absolutely everyone loved Esther. After all, how could you not?

Esther's husband had died a few years ago. So after retirement, she moved from her farm on a dirt road in my hometown of Morgan County, Ohio to move in with her daughter Laura in Cincinnati, to help raise her three little girls. Soon after she moved in, she got sick. They found an inoperable brain tumor. Six months after her retirement. Her life expectancy is measured in weeks. She had hoped to help raise her granddaughters. Now they won't remember her.

Esther had always loved Highland cattle. So Laura, seeking to cheer her mother up however she could, called a local farmer who kept some Highland cattle on the side. She asked if she could bring her Mom to his farm for a visit and explained the situation. He said sure. A few days later, Laura called him back, saying that her Mom was getting very sick very quickly and had just been admitted to an inpatient hospice. She was too sick to travel, so she couldn't visit his farm. The farmer hung up the phone, went out to his barn, loaded up a calf in his trailer, and brought it to the hospice facility.

Esther was so happy.

The farmer had never met Esther and knew nothing about her. He didn't know that she spent her life caring for the less fortunate. He had no idea. He was just being kind. To someone he'd never met.

I wish I could pay him for his time. I would pay him A LOT for brightening my beloved Esther's day. Although I'm fairly sure he'd decline my money. This seems appropriate, because this sort of thing is the glue that holds a society together, and it's priceless. So there you go.

There are some good people out there. It's amazing how many of them are farmers.

But it's also amazing how many good people there are, in general. They're everywhere. We just don't notice them, generally. Because we're busy, and so are they.

There are some good places out there, too. Only in Ohio would someone bring a freakin' COW to a hospice facility.

Or perhaps not. America is full of places like that, and people like that.

Sometimes we don't notice the beauty that surrounds us until we're faced with something horrible. Like an inoperable brain tumor in a beautiful person.

My Dad went up to visit his baby sister last weekend. I hope to go this weekend. In the meantime, Esther has had a steady stream of well-wishers visiting from Morgan County, a four-hour drive away.

She's in a horrible situation. But she's not alone. She's surrounded by people who love her. And one farmer who'd never met her.

And one cow.

When Esther dies, the world is losing something beautiful.

But her passing reminds the rest of us of the beauty that surrounds us every day. It's good that we're reminded of that, from time to time.

Esther would be pleased.