The Two Margarets

I had an e mail from a neighbor who lived next door to me for 16 years on Crestwood Road in Fountain City, Tennessee.  She lives in Kentucky now, but every time we write each other one of us or the other (sometimes both) talk about "when we lived on Crestwood," and how "you are the best neighbor I have ever had."  

Not only was Crestwood Rd. a wonderful street to live on, we had wonderful neighbors!  All of us were friends.  All of us looked out for each other.  We even blocked off our street at Halloween so the the kids could run back and forth from house to house safely.

But none was as good as Swannee who lived only a few feet away from me.  Hardly a day went by that we didn't cross that little patch of grass to each others back door.  Whether it was to borrow something or just pass the time of day, we always seemed to gravitate toward each other at some point during the day.

For some reason, we call each other "Margaret." One day she called me on the phone .  She said "It's me, Margaret!"  From then on, we called each other Margaret!  One day I called and Tom answered. (Tom was her husband and has since gone on to be with the Lord.) I asked for Margaret.  I heard him say..."hey Margaret.  It's Margaret."

Swannee (Margaret) has a birthday this month.  When I mailed her card, all kinds of feelings washed over me.  Birthdays that I had on Crestwood, when I would walk outside in the morning and a huge potted mum would be sitting on my picnic table.  Other mornings, when it was no special occasion, and I would walk out the door and see a half of a watermelon sitting in the chair, or a half of a cantaloupe.  Some days a box of strawberries.  One day a box of spring rolls!  Don't ask me why she chose spring rolls, but those were the best spring rolls I have ever had!  I started buying them at Kroger until they quit carrying them!  It figures!

I thought of a scripture this morning that goes along with the story of the two Margarets.  It's found in Luke 11:5 (The Message Bible)

"Imagine what would happen if you went to a friend in the middle of the night and said, 'Friend, lend me three loaves of bread.  An old friend traveling through just showed up and I don't have a thing on hand.'  The friend answers from his bed, 'Don't bother me.  The door's locked; my children are all down for the night; I can't get up to give  you anything.' But let me tell you, even if he won't get up because he's a friend, if you stand your ground, knocking and waking all the neighbors, he'll finally get up and get you whatever you need."

THIS Margaret knows for a fact, that my friend, Margaret, would have gotten up on the first knock.  She not only would have given me bread, but everything I needed left over from her supper so I could feed my traveling friend a sumptuous meal! ​